By — Genesis Magpayo Genesis Magpayo Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/why-experts-are-pushing-rfk-jr-to-release-a-federal-definition-of-ultraprocessed-foods Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Why experts are pushing RFK Jr. to release a federal definition of ultraprocessed foods Health Oct 23, 2026 4:24 PM EDT Significant delays in the Trump administration's effort to tackle the health risks of ultraprocessed foods have obstructed a pillar of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" agenda and caused growing frustration inside and outside the government. More than 100 science, medical and nutrition experts signed and sent an open letter Friday to the Office of Management and Budget, urging the administration to release the first-ever government definition of ultraprocessed foods (UPF). "It is critical that special interests not hold up this process," the letter read. "Most Americans are aware of UPF and wish to avoid them, but deeper familiarity with UPF remains limited, signaling a need for guidance." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. The Trump administration first announced their efforts to define ultraprocessed foods back in July 2025, but according to media reports, food company CEOs intervened in the definition's release. Adding to the pressure is the resignation of Calley Means, MAHA's top ally and senior adviser to Kennedy, on Thursday. While Means didn't cite the reasons for leaving, saying he has "tremendous respect" for President Donald Trump and Kennedy, Politico reported that the stonewalled UPF definition was a "breaking point." READ MORE: RFK Jr. adviser Calley Means resigns amid growing MAHA discontent over lack of progress Since becoming the nation's top health official, Kennedy has linked Americans' overconsumption of ultraprocessed foods to childhood obesity and said the U.S. could not "reverse America's chronic disease epidemic without transforming our food system." Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. participates in a "Make America Healthy Again" summit in Washington, D.C., in September. Photo by Nathan Howard/Reuters The Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture took an incremental step toward this goal in August by submitting for final review a proposed definition of these foods, which range from sugary cereals and sodas to burgers and store-bought breads. "If industry pressure can delay even this first step toward greater transparency, what does that tell us about the challenges of making meaningful improvements to our food supply?" said Ashley Gearhardt, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan who signed the letter. The move could lay the groundwork for consumers to make informed decisions on ultraprocessed foods, which accounts for more than 70% of the packaged food supply in the U.S., according to one study. Ultraprocessed foods are cheap, convenient and readily available, but numerous studies have linked them to negative health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Experts told PBS News that establishing a clear, structured definition is key to developing effective policy that aims to reduce people's consumption of ultraprocessed foods and improve public health. Where did the term 'ultraprocessed foods' come from? The term "ultraprocessed foods" comes from the NOVA classification system. Proposed in 2009 by researchers in Brazil, the NOVA system categorizes food and drinks into four different levels based on the amount of industrial processing a product undergoes after it's removed from nature and before it's prepared for meals and consumed. Under the NOVA system, foods in the ultraprocessed category are those that have undergone "extensive industrial manipulation," said Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutrition epidemiologist and professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who also signed the letter to OMB. These foods "have been broken down and then reassembled using cosmetic additives like added colors, added flavors, emulsifiers, or things that make the texture more palatable to people," she added. Many ultraprocessed food products are "barely even food" and "not designed for nourishment," said Gearhardt. Instead, she said they are designed for consumers "to finish the whole bag before you even realize it." Watch the clip in the player above. Kennedy told lawmakers at his confirmation hearings last year that ultraprocessed foods are a threat to children's health and "making them sick." Roughly three-quarters of infant and toddler foods are considered ultraprocessed, according to a February study published in Nutrients. Ultraprocessed foods are often sugary, salty and fatty, and packaged for long shelf lives and portability, Taillie said. The other three groups in the NOVA system are: Fresh or minimally processed foods. That includes unprocessed fruit, seeds, eggs and plain meat, and minimally processed foods such as fruit that's been dried, squeezed, chilled or frozen. Culinary ingredients. Think butter, sugar, honey, among other substances that have been extracted from whole foods for cooking. Processed foods. These are products that have experienced some level of processing or preservation, including canned vegetables, cheese, salted nuts and smoked meats. What experts would like to see in a federal definition of ultraprocessed foods Watch the segment in the player above. The public comment period on the government's effort to craft a definition for ultraprocessed foods ended Friday. The definition laid out in the NOVA system has been used across numerous studies to link ultraprocessed foods to adverse health outcomes, Taillie said. And yet, consumers don't have an easy time identifying certain foods as ultraprocessed when shopping at their local grocery store. "You think that you have all these choices in the grocery store, but so many of them are just these industrial bases that are nutrient-poor, not that appealing, but they can be really easily dressed up to look exciting," Gearhardt said, "and all of a sudden you're eating Flaming Hot Cheetos and Code Red Mountain Dew." The characteristics in the NOVA definition aren't something you would find on a food package label or ingredient list, Taillie said. That makes it hard to know how the food is actually being made or how much of it is a real food substance, she added. In the long run, we "can't have an individual nutritionist sitting there and reviewing every product or ingredient," Taillie said, as it "would be onerous and inconsistently applied." For Gearhardt, the question is: "How do you take this definition of ultraprocessed food that we've been using scientifically and translate it into something that could start to have regulatory impact?" What's needed is a bridge from the scientific definition laid out by the NOVA system that can be applied to the whole food system "in a way that's easily reproducible and done over and over again as our food supply changes," Taillie said. Taillie, alongside other experts in an ultraprocessed foods panel for Healthy Eating Research, recommended a framework in June that expands upon the scientific definition. The panel, using the NOVA system as a starting point, suggested a two-part definition for determining whether a product is ultraprocessed: If it contains at least one ingredient that falls under the NOVA category for ultraprocessed foods, such as a cosmetic additive or ingredients typically not found in your at-home kitchen. Some foods are exempt if they meet the FDA's definition of "healthy," which means the product has "adequate amounts" of recommended food groups and its added sugar, salt or saturated fat content is below FDA-recommended levels. "You can't just sprinkle some fiber powder on a candy bar and voila, it's healthy," Taillie said of the exemption. "The food would actually have to contain a specific amount of whole grain or a specific amount of nuts in order to meet this criteria." The exemption is meant to prevent certain ultraprocessed foods recommended as "healthy" by nutritionists and dietitians, such as whole grain breads, tofu, yogurt and some breakfast cereals, from being included in harm-reduction policies, according to Healthy Eating Research. What would experts like to see in a policy targeting ultraprocessed foods? A federal definition could allow the USDA to alter meals in schools, the military, hospitals and other agency-based programs, said Laura Schmidt, another letter signee and professor at the University of California, San Francisco's School of Medicine. School children and toddlers obtain roughly 47 to 59% of their calories from ultraprocessed foods, one 2025 study found. "We carry those preferences with us for the rest of our lives," Taillie said. "If we're able to reduce the amount of ultraprocessed foods in schools, we can improve kids' diets, and then also set them up for healthier eating habits when they're adolescents and adults." Experts told PBS News that front-of-package nutrition labels on products at the grocery store would also help consumers make informed choices. Schmidt said these new labels would alert the consumer, so they're not confused about what is less healthy, and incentivize food manufacturers to make their products less processed. "It's a kind of a win all around," she said. Countries such as Chile and Mexico have incorporated such nutritional labels in their packaging, policies that researchers found led to "significant decreases in the consumption of ultraprocessed food," Schmidt added. Research has also shown front-of-package nutrition labels to help consumers in the decision-making process to make more healthy choices, and even potentially reverse the effects of childhood obesity, which is what happened in Chile. Other efforts have been made to regulate ultraprocessed foods in the United States. California was the first in the nation to remove ultraprocessed food from school lunches. The U.S. Senate also introduced a bipartisan bill that aims to put labels on unhealthy foods and limit junk food marketing to kids, though there's little traction on the legislation thus far. For now, it's up to consumers to decide for themselves until a federal definition is finalized. Means, Kennedy and White House officials were set to have a meeting this week to discuss the ultraprocessed food definition, according to Politico. That has been postponed. "I don't want Oreos and Snickers and things to go completely away, but they shouldn't be the majority of what's stocking the shelves in our grocery stores," Gearhardt said. The majority ought to be "minimally processed, whole, rich, real food that's made convenient, accessible and affordable," she added. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Genesis Magpayo Genesis Magpayo
Significant delays in the Trump administration's effort to tackle the health risks of ultraprocessed foods have obstructed a pillar of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" agenda and caused growing frustration inside and outside the government. More than 100 science, medical and nutrition experts signed and sent an open letter Friday to the Office of Management and Budget, urging the administration to release the first-ever government definition of ultraprocessed foods (UPF). "It is critical that special interests not hold up this process," the letter read. "Most Americans are aware of UPF and wish to avoid them, but deeper familiarity with UPF remains limited, signaling a need for guidance." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. The Trump administration first announced their efforts to define ultraprocessed foods back in July 2025, but according to media reports, food company CEOs intervened in the definition's release. Adding to the pressure is the resignation of Calley Means, MAHA's top ally and senior adviser to Kennedy, on Thursday. While Means didn't cite the reasons for leaving, saying he has "tremendous respect" for President Donald Trump and Kennedy, Politico reported that the stonewalled UPF definition was a "breaking point." READ MORE: RFK Jr. adviser Calley Means resigns amid growing MAHA discontent over lack of progress Since becoming the nation's top health official, Kennedy has linked Americans' overconsumption of ultraprocessed foods to childhood obesity and said the U.S. could not "reverse America's chronic disease epidemic without transforming our food system." Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. participates in a "Make America Healthy Again" summit in Washington, D.C., in September. Photo by Nathan Howard/Reuters The Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture took an incremental step toward this goal in August by submitting for final review a proposed definition of these foods, which range from sugary cereals and sodas to burgers and store-bought breads. "If industry pressure can delay even this first step toward greater transparency, what does that tell us about the challenges of making meaningful improvements to our food supply?" said Ashley Gearhardt, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan who signed the letter. The move could lay the groundwork for consumers to make informed decisions on ultraprocessed foods, which accounts for more than 70% of the packaged food supply in the U.S., according to one study. Ultraprocessed foods are cheap, convenient and readily available, but numerous studies have linked them to negative health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Experts told PBS News that establishing a clear, structured definition is key to developing effective policy that aims to reduce people's consumption of ultraprocessed foods and improve public health. Where did the term 'ultraprocessed foods' come from? The term "ultraprocessed foods" comes from the NOVA classification system. Proposed in 2009 by researchers in Brazil, the NOVA system categorizes food and drinks into four different levels based on the amount of industrial processing a product undergoes after it's removed from nature and before it's prepared for meals and consumed. Under the NOVA system, foods in the ultraprocessed category are those that have undergone "extensive industrial manipulation," said Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutrition epidemiologist and professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who also signed the letter to OMB. These foods "have been broken down and then reassembled using cosmetic additives like added colors, added flavors, emulsifiers, or things that make the texture more palatable to people," she added. Many ultraprocessed food products are "barely even food" and "not designed for nourishment," said Gearhardt. Instead, she said they are designed for consumers "to finish the whole bag before you even realize it." Watch the clip in the player above. Kennedy told lawmakers at his confirmation hearings last year that ultraprocessed foods are a threat to children's health and "making them sick." Roughly three-quarters of infant and toddler foods are considered ultraprocessed, according to a February study published in Nutrients. Ultraprocessed foods are often sugary, salty and fatty, and packaged for long shelf lives and portability, Taillie said. The other three groups in the NOVA system are: Fresh or minimally processed foods. That includes unprocessed fruit, seeds, eggs and plain meat, and minimally processed foods such as fruit that's been dried, squeezed, chilled or frozen. Culinary ingredients. Think butter, sugar, honey, among other substances that have been extracted from whole foods for cooking. Processed foods. These are products that have experienced some level of processing or preservation, including canned vegetables, cheese, salted nuts and smoked meats. What experts would like to see in a federal definition of ultraprocessed foods Watch the segment in the player above. The public comment period on the government's effort to craft a definition for ultraprocessed foods ended Friday. The definition laid out in the NOVA system has been used across numerous studies to link ultraprocessed foods to adverse health outcomes, Taillie said. And yet, consumers don't have an easy time identifying certain foods as ultraprocessed when shopping at their local grocery store. "You think that you have all these choices in the grocery store, but so many of them are just these industrial bases that are nutrient-poor, not that appealing, but they can be really easily dressed up to look exciting," Gearhardt said, "and all of a sudden you're eating Flaming Hot Cheetos and Code Red Mountain Dew." The characteristics in the NOVA definition aren't something you would find on a food package label or ingredient list, Taillie said. That makes it hard to know how the food is actually being made or how much of it is a real food substance, she added. In the long run, we "can't have an individual nutritionist sitting there and reviewing every product or ingredient," Taillie said, as it "would be onerous and inconsistently applied." For Gearhardt, the question is: "How do you take this definition of ultraprocessed food that we've been using scientifically and translate it into something that could start to have regulatory impact?" What's needed is a bridge from the scientific definition laid out by the NOVA system that can be applied to the whole food system "in a way that's easily reproducible and done over and over again as our food supply changes," Taillie said. Taillie, alongside other experts in an ultraprocessed foods panel for Healthy Eating Research, recommended a framework in June that expands upon the scientific definition. The panel, using the NOVA system as a starting point, suggested a two-part definition for determining whether a product is ultraprocessed: If it contains at least one ingredient that falls under the NOVA category for ultraprocessed foods, such as a cosmetic additive or ingredients typically not found in your at-home kitchen. Some foods are exempt if they meet the FDA's definition of "healthy," which means the product has "adequate amounts" of recommended food groups and its added sugar, salt or saturated fat content is below FDA-recommended levels. "You can't just sprinkle some fiber powder on a candy bar and voila, it's healthy," Taillie said of the exemption. "The food would actually have to contain a specific amount of whole grain or a specific amount of nuts in order to meet this criteria." The exemption is meant to prevent certain ultraprocessed foods recommended as "healthy" by nutritionists and dietitians, such as whole grain breads, tofu, yogurt and some breakfast cereals, from being included in harm-reduction policies, according to Healthy Eating Research. What would experts like to see in a policy targeting ultraprocessed foods? A federal definition could allow the USDA to alter meals in schools, the military, hospitals and other agency-based programs, said Laura Schmidt, another letter signee and professor at the University of California, San Francisco's School of Medicine. School children and toddlers obtain roughly 47 to 59% of their calories from ultraprocessed foods, one 2025 study found. "We carry those preferences with us for the rest of our lives," Taillie said. "If we're able to reduce the amount of ultraprocessed foods in schools, we can improve kids' diets, and then also set them up for healthier eating habits when they're adolescents and adults." Experts told PBS News that front-of-package nutrition labels on products at the grocery store would also help consumers make informed choices. Schmidt said these new labels would alert the consumer, so they're not confused about what is less healthy, and incentivize food manufacturers to make their products less processed. "It's a kind of a win all around," she said. Countries such as Chile and Mexico have incorporated such nutritional labels in their packaging, policies that researchers found led to "significant decreases in the consumption of ultraprocessed food," Schmidt added. Research has also shown front-of-package nutrition labels to help consumers in the decision-making process to make more healthy choices, and even potentially reverse the effects of childhood obesity, which is what happened in Chile. Other efforts have been made to regulate ultraprocessed foods in the United States. California was the first in the nation to remove ultraprocessed food from school lunches. The U.S. Senate also introduced a bipartisan bill that aims to put labels on unhealthy foods and limit junk food marketing to kids, though there's little traction on the legislation thus far. For now, it's up to consumers to decide for themselves until a federal definition is finalized. Means, Kennedy and White House officials were set to have a meeting this week to discuss the ultraprocessed food definition, according to Politico. That has been postponed. "I don't want Oreos and Snickers and things to go completely away, but they shouldn't be the majority of what's stocking the shelves in our grocery stores," Gearhardt said. The majority ought to be "minimally processed, whole, rich, real food that's made convenient, accessible and affordable," she added. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now