Articles Tagged with ''ultra-processed foods''

A collection of studies and editorials published in the American Journal of Public Health presents one of the most comprehensive examinations to date of ultra-processed food (UPF) as a public health crisis shaped not only by nutrition, but by corporate practices, political influence, and regulation failures.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses new research on the use of cold plasma technologies for biofilm inactivation and reducing allergenic risk, deriving more accurate “sell by” dates based on microbial changes on meat, and ultra-processed food nutrition and purchasing realities.

A series of first-of-their-kind, large-scale epidemiological studies have suggested associations between food dyes—both “natural” and artificial—and preservatives, and an increased risk of chronic health conditions like cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

During the 49^th Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL49), guidelines on risk-based precautionary allergen labeling, labeling for multipack foods, and emergency flexible labeling were recommended for adoption. CCFL also declined a proposal to initiate work related to ultra-processed foods.

However, ultra-processed foods were consistently more affordable and dominated total U.S. grocery sales. The report, commissioned by IFIC, suggests that dietary recommendations and discussions about UPFs must be grounded in real-world consumer behavior, rather than treating these products as easily avoidable, and consider nutritional value.

This article discusses what the recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 say about "highly processed foods" and the food packaging concerns associated with such 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.