On July 25, 2025, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a joint announcement that they are “accelerating federal efforts to address the growing concerns around ultra-processed foods.” To that end, the agencies have opened a request for information “to gather information and data to help establish a federally recognized uniform definition for ultra-processed foods” (UPFs, FPF reported).
The three agencies plan to coordinate across their respective authorities to review the current scientific evidence on UPFs and public health outcomes and to determine whether additional guidance, research, or policy actions are warranted (FPF reported). According to the announcement, next steps will include assessing the evidence base, identifying data gaps, and engaging with stakeholders.
The request for information on UPFs is open until September 23, 2025.
An exact definition for UPFs in the US will be critical to address dietary and food processing standards in the country and to clarify findings on food consumption. For example, even without a federally recognized definition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking UPF consumption of the American population for over a decade. On August 7, 2025, they published the latest statistics on UPF consumption in the US, covering the period from August 2021 to August 2023. The CDC found that “youth consumed 61.9% of their daily calories, on average, from ultra-processed foods, while adults consumed 53.0% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.”
In May, the FDA and the National Institutes of Health announced a new Nutrition Regulatory Science Program to investigate how UPFs harm health, the contribution of certain food additives, and the role of maternal and infant dietary exposure (FPF reported). These actions follow up on the Make America Healthy Again report published by the Department of Health and Human Services that same month (FPF reported).
Many consultations related to food packaging and chemicals are open in the summer and fall of 2025. The Food Packaging Forum keeps a list of open comment opportunities on the consultations page.
References
US FDA (July 23, 2025). “HHS, FDA and USDA Address the Health Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods.”
US FDA, HHS, and USDA (July 25, 2025). “Ultra-Processed Foods; Request for Information.” Federal Register
US FDA (May 9, 2025). “FDA and NIH Announce Innovative Joint Nutrition Regulatory Science Program.”
Williams, A.M., et al. (2025). “Ultra-processed Food Consumption in Youth and Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023.” CDC (pdf).
