White House Stalls RFK Jr. Push for Safety Proof on Ultra-Processed Foods

Q: What pending federal definition of ultra-processed foods could soon transform grocery labels and school meals nationwide?

It is the federal government’s first proposed definition of “ultra-processed foods,” now under White House review and not yet public. Health and Human Services and the Agriculture Department have submitted that definition as a foundation for future federal nutrition research and policy. Officials have said its practical impact could be wide: it could shape front-of-pack grocery labeling, school meal standards, federal procurement rules and possibly state policies, depending on how broadly or narrowly the term is defined. What remains unresolved is the substance of the definition itself. Regulators have acknowledged that defining ultra-processed foods is difficult because there is no single scientific consensus. The key policy question is whether the definition will rely mainly on industrial processing methods, on the presence of certain additives or ingredients, on nutritional profile, or on a hybrid of those factors. That distinction matters because a broad definition could sweep in a large share of packaged foods, while a narrower one might focus on products with industrial additives such as emulsifiers, artificial colors, preservatives or other ingredients not typically used in home kitchens. Officials and outside experts say the eventual wording could become a turning point for how Americans see food labels and what is allowed or discouraged in school cafeterias nationwide.

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 25

A March draft letter shows HHS urged the White House to back a demand that food companies provide detailed studies proving common ultra-processed food ingredients are safe.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had appeared ready earlier this year to confront the food industry, but the White House has not acted on that push.
The draft said the ingredients should be shown not to contribute to chronic health conditions, sharpening scrutiny of substances widely used in industrial food processing.
David Kessler, a former FDA commissioner, helped drive the effort with a citizen petition that Kennedy praised and that asked regulators to examine core processing ingredients.