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Federal agencies say ultraprocessed foods ‘driving’ chronic disease rates • Iowa Capital Dispatch [1]
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Date: 2025-07
A handful of government agencies have partnered to create a unified definition of ultraprocessed foods, which they hold are linked to adverse health outcomes.
The effort is part of the ongoing Make American Healthy Again directive led by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“Ultra-processed foods are driving our chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said in a press release. “We must act boldly to eliminate the root causes of chronic illness and improve the health of our food supply. Defining ultra-processed foods with a clear, uniform standard will empower us even more to Make America Healthy Again.”
HHS, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, announced a joint Request for Information, as the first step in the process to develop a federal, uniform definition of ultraprocessed foods.
Kennedy’s Make American Healthy Again report, released in May, included an entire section about ultraprocessed foods. The report cited the NOVA food classification’s definition that says ultraprocessed foods are: “industrially manufactured food products made up of several ingredients (formulations) including sugar, oils, fats and salt and food substances of no or rare culinary use.”
These substances include flavors, colorants, non-sugar sweeteners, and emulsifiers. The MAHA report said generally, ultraprocessed foods are ready-to-eat foods that are high in sugars, refined grains or sodium and low in fiber and essential nutrients.
According to the press release from HHS, USDA and FDA, around 70% of packaged products in the U.S. food supply are typically considered ultraprocessed. The release also said children get around 60% of their calories from these foods.
The release and the Make America Healthy Again report point to ultraprocessed foods as a “driving factor” in the “crisis” of childhood chronic diseases. The consumption of these foods, according to the release, is linked to cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, cancer and neurological disorders.
“The threats posed to our health by foods often considered ultra-processed are clear and convincing, making it imperative that we work in lockstep with our federal partners to advance, for the first time ever, a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in the release.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins vowed to include the “the great men and women of the agriculture value chain” in the conversation throughout the process.
“President Trump has made it a priority to improve health outcomes for American families and communities,” Rollins said in the statement. “And this Request for Information is yet another step in seeking commonsense ways to foster improved and more informed consumer choice.”
The health impacts of ultraprocessed foods are also part of a research initiative between FDA and the National Institutes of Health. A uniform definition will help to “pave the way” for consistent research, policy and the ability to address associated health concerns, according to the HHS release.
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