WASHINGTON — Survey results published online June 3 in the American Journal of Public Health found that about a third of respondents said they were confident in understanding the term ultra-processed foods, and yet a majority said they considered UPFs to be a “major cause” of ailments such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers partnered with YouGov on a web-based survey of 2,000 US adults conducted June 6-16, 2025. While 58.1% said they had heard of ultra-processed food, only 32.8% said they were confident in understanding the term.
“More than half of adults had heard of UPFs, yet only one third felt confident explaining what UPFs are — revealing that public exposure to the term is expanding faster than comprehension,” the researchers said. “This underscores the need to build consensus around a clear and scientifically supported definition of UPFs for use in both (1) US regulatory policy (at both federal and state levels) and (2) health communication campaigns to increase public understanding and agency in addressing UPF harms.”
The US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture published a joint request for information (RFI) in the Federal Register on July 24, 2025, seeking input to establish a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods. The agencies have yet to issue a definition.
“Until there is clarity and agreement about the nature of UPFs, consumers will continue to be left in the dark and hampered in their efforts to hold informed opinions and make well-grounded decisions regarding UPFs,” said Brendan Niemira, PhD, chief science and technology officer for the Institute of Food Technologists.
Not a partisan issue
The survey divided respondents into three groups: those that identified as Democrats, those that identified as Republicans, and those that identified as independents.
Results by political party varied little. When asked whether they had heard of UPFs, 57.9% of Democrats, 61.5% of independents and 58% of Republicans said they had. When asked whether they were confident in understanding the term, the percentages were 34.2% for Democrats, 33.8% for independents and 31.7% for Republicans.
A majority of respondents said UPFs were major causes of various ailments, including obesity (80.9%, 79.3% and 76.9%), type 2 diabetes (69.9%, 67.5% and 67%) and cardiovascular disease (65.4%, 60% and 63.7%).
When asked who was responsible for heavy consumption of UPFs, the top answer was parents of unhealthy children (63.8%, 71.9% and 73.9%), followed by companies that produce UPFs (60.9%, 52.7% and 53.2%), fast-food companies (52.1%, 46.6% and 44.4%), soda companies (48.9%, 41.2% and 42.4%), the US government (52.3%, 44.2% and 41.1%), and state and local governments (43%, 38.9% and 36.9%).
A grant from the Dohmen Company Foundation supported the research. The Dohmen Company Foundation invests in organizations and communities capable of preventing and reversing diet-related diseases.
Two of the study authors were Ashley N. Gearhardt, PhD, a professor of psychology in the clinical science area at the University of Michigan who developed the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), and Colleen L. Barry, PhD, a public policy scholar and educator and the inaugural dean of the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. Both Gearhardt and Barry also serve as scientific advisers for the Fed UP! Movement, which is made up of doctors, scientists, educators and organizations interested in building a healthier, more transparent food system.
Speaking up for safety
The Consumer Brands Association, Washington, pointed out that the Fed UP! Movement partners with Yuka, an app that deciphers product labels and analyzes the health impact of food products and cosmetics.
“America has one of the safest and most highly regulated food systems in the world,” a CBA spokesperson said. “We welcome fact-based conversations about nutrition, but safety is not up for debate. As consumers continue to seek a diverse selection of foods and beverages, the makers of America’s trusted household brands provide a wide variety of affordable products to choose from, along with access to the information consumers need to make informed choices.
“Companies adhere to the rigorous evidence-based safety standards and nutrition policy established by the FDA to deliver safe, affordable and convenient products that consumers depend on every day.”
The consumer packaged goods industry already has developed SmartLabel, a digital platform for brands to display product information, according to the CBA, while FACTS UP FRONT puts information on the front of product packaging. Use of SmartLabel is up over 40% from 2024 to 2025, with labels being scanned over 9 million times in 2025, according to the CBA, which added that Nielsen data show that FACTS UP FRONT can be found on nearly 350,000 products, a 65% increase from 2021.
The IFT, in its comments to the USDA and the HHS, said the federal agencies should focus on several areas when deciding upon a UPF definition, Niemira said.
“These include recognizing the limitations of current UPF classifications, the essential roles of food processing in food preservation and out-of-season availability, and the risks of conflating processing with formulation,” he said. “What is in the food (the ingredients) must be considered separately from how the food is made (the processing) when setting terminology standards for nutritional value. Processing methods alone are not definitive markers of quality or wholesomeness.”
Get better food industry search results.
Adding us tells Google to prioritize Food Business News stories.
Jun
2026
Innovations at the show included new formats and formulations.
Formulations are driving innovation in dairy and milk alternatives.
