USDA and federal health agencies have released a joint request for information to formulate a federal definition of ultraprocessed foods.
The effort could help the administration develop policy or take action on a key pillar of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again agenda.
Kennedy and other MAHA figures have long railed against ultraprocessed foods, arguing Americans and primarily children are over-consuming these products. The first MAHA Commission report also aimed to tie ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, as a driver of negative health outcomes among children.
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But the lack of a formal definition has long plagued researchers. In forming the latest recommendations for the dietary guidelines, the advisory panel was asked to study the impact of ultraprocessed foods on American diets. But the panel of nutrition experts were unable to give strong advice due to a lack of a formal definition and inadequate research.
“Ultraprocessed foods are driving our chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said in the announcement. “We must act boldly to eliminate the root causes of chronic illness and improve the health of our food supply. Defining ultraprocessed foods with a clear, uniform standard will empower us even more to Make America Healthy Again.”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the RFI is another step toward improving smart consumer choice. She added she will ensure those within the agriculture value chain are part of the conversation as this process evolves.
The RFI will publish in the Federal Register July 24, seeking responses on what criteria and factors should be included in the definition. A standard definition will be used to advance research and policy recommendations to address the tie between ultraprocessed foods and public health, according to the announcement.
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