Articles Tagged with ''ultra-processed foods''

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed how four major food processing classification systems (including the NOVA “ultra-processed” definition) differ in categorizing foods and how those differences may influence nutrition research, public health, and policy.

Medical researchers at Florida Atlantic University found that adults who ate the most ultra-processed foods (UPFs) had a “statistically significant and clinically important” 47 percent higher risk of heart attack or stroke than those who ate the least.

Introduced by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, AB 2244 would establish the “California Certified” seal for non-ultra-processed foods (non-UPFs) that can be displayed on the label of qualified food products, similar to the "USDA Organic" seal.

In his remarks on a recent Joe Rogan Experience podcast episode, Secretary Kennedy also suggested FDA is considering a new approach to front-of-pack nutrition labeling.

Contributing to the current conversation around food processing (e.g., “ultra-processed foods”), the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS) has published a set of governing principles for food formulation and processing classification systems.

This episode of Food Safety Five reads between the lines of the revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans, discussing its use of the term “highly processed foods,” how its definition differs (or does not differ) from the debated “ultra-processed foods” category, and the potential implications for food policy.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to acclaimed food policy journalist Helena Bottemiller Evich about the rise of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, the current state of food and nutrition policy under its agenda, and predictions for its future.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 were unveiled on January 7 alongside a new, inverted food pyramid that elevates the importance of protein and dairy, and an “eat real food” messaging campaign that denounces “highly processed food.”

The Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT’s) Science and Policy Initiatives team has revealed the top five food trends of 2026 that are predicted to impact the food and policy landscape related to innovation, safety, sustainability, and consumer trust.

In this year-end episode of Food Safety Matters, we round up the top stories of 2025, covering U.S. federal food safety policy changes under the Trump Administration, MAHA- and state-led moves against food additives of concern and ultra-processed foods, infant formula safety, science on Listeria and biofilms, ongoing monitoring of avian flu, and AI food safety applications.