Top Ultra-Processed Food Researchers Call for Sweeping Policy Changes, Citing Broad Public Support

A coalition of leading ultra-processed food (UPF) researchers has issued an urgent call for sweeping policy interventions, publishing a special edition of the American Journal of Public Health that marshals new polling data, original research, and expert commentary to argue that the American food system is fundamentally broken.

The 17-article special issue, discussed during a press call ahead of its release, carries an overarching message for lawmakers: "Do policy!" That directive, offered by food politics scholar Marion Nestle of New York University, is backed by a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults that reveals broad cross-partisan alarm over the health consequences of industrially produced foods.

Public Opinion Reflects Bipartisan Consensus

The survey, included in the new issue, found that the overwhelming majority of Democrats, Republicans, and independents agree that ultra-processed foods are addictive and constitute a major cause of obesity (搜索)搜索该疾病, type 2 diabetes (搜索)搜索该疾病, and cardiovascular disease (搜索)搜索该疾病. The polling also documented majority support across all parties for a range of government interventions, including mandatory safety testing of additives before they can enter the food supply, bans on artificial dyes, warning labels on UPF products, and requirements that companies reduce sugar and salt content.

"In this polarized era where Americans disagree on so much, this is actually something where we're seeing a lot of agreement and public support, which should be a catalyst for policymakers," said Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutrition epidemiologist at the UNC Gillings School of Public Health and co-author of a paper in the issue examining the environmental toll of single-use plastics used in UPF packaging.

Defining the Target: The Nova Framework and FDA Uncertainty

Central to the researchers' concerns is the ongoing effort by the Food and Drug Administration (搜索)搜索该词条 to craft a formal definition of ultra-processed foods. Taillie cautioned that an overly narrow definition could undermine public health efforts. "What's at risk here is … you only capture a small fraction of the ultra-processed foods on the food supply, which will also have minimal health impact," she said. The assembled experts voiced unified support for the widely used Nova classification system, developed by Brazilian epidemiologist Carlos Monteiro, which identifies UPFs as industrially formulated products that are ready to eat or ready to heat with little or no preparation.

Critique of the MAHA Movement and Government Inaction

Despite Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s prominent focus on ultra-processed foods, several experts expressed frustration with the federal response. Nestle characterized Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again initiative as "not a science-based movement, they're a feelings-based movement, and they believe personal experience is much more important than what the science says." In her paper for the special issue, Nestle argues that the government's new dietary guidelines shift responsibility for avoiding highly processed foods onto individuals rather than targeting industry regulation.

Nevertheless, Nestle acknowledged that the MAHA movement has advanced certain priorities, including efforts to remove specific additives, artificial dyes, and glyphosate from the food supply. "There have been advocates trying to get those things out of the food supply for decades," she said. "I just wish the government would act on it."

New Research: From Tobacco Tactics to Dementia (搜索)搜索该疾病 Risk

The special issue features original investigations that broaden the evidence base against UPFs. One study documents how tobacco giant Philip Morris Companies (搜索)搜索该词条 drew from its cigarette playbook during the 1980s and 1990s, when it owned Kraft General Foods (搜索)搜索该词条, applying flavor-enhancing technologies originally developed for lower-nicotine cigarettes to create more palatable fat-free cheeses and processed meats for products like Lunchables.

Another study identified a possible association between ultra-processed food consumption and dementia (搜索)搜索该疾病 in older adults, though the authors note important caveats: dietary recall surveys are notoriously imprecise, and dementia was assessed via cognitive testing rather than clinical diagnosis.

Policy Proposals: Litigation, Subsidies, and Structural Reform

In an editorial, Duke University obesity (搜索)搜索该疾病 expert Kelly Brownell and New York University public health lawyer Jennifer Pomeranz highlight litigation by state, city, and county attorneys general as a critical tool against the food industry. Brownell warned that "one of the greatest threats to making progress in this area will be attempts by the food industry to do preemption laws, where the federal government preempts state or local governments from doing their own things." Such efforts are already emerging as states across the country pass bills restricting ultra-processed foods.

The researchers also proposed redirecting agricultural subsidies and food benefit programs. Laura Schmidt, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that 22 states have stopped allowing low-income people to purchase items like soda and candy with food benefits, and suggested those resources could instead subsidize local farmers. When asked whether corn subsidies should be redirected to fruit cultivation, multiple experts responded affirmatively.

A Rigged System

The researchers were unanimous in their conviction that consumer education alone cannot address UPF consumption and its associated chronic diseases. "These are among the most profitable products in the supermarket; the system is rigged," Nestle said. "If you go into a supermarket wanting to eat healthfully, you're fighting the entire system on your own."