As the Trump administration looks to create a federal definition of ultra-processed foods, the question of the best way to differentiate products within a category that can lump packaged whole-wheat bread together with soda and cheese puffs has been the subject of much debate.

The Trump administration released new dietary guidelines on Wednesday, pushing Americans to prioritize protein and cut back on added sugars and processed foods.

“Eat less processed food!” has been the public health messaging for years, due to a link between ultra-processed foods and conditions such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. However, the message, while simple, assumes that everyone understands what processed foods are and their association with health.

The average American gets more than half of their calories from ultra-processed foods, according to a new federal report. That's not surprising—ultra-processed foods are everywhere, and includes many of our cheapest grocery options. That's why it's ...

Americans have been rethinking the role that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) play in their diets, especially those aiming to drop some pounds. Recent research found that overweight adults who cut out UPFs from their daily eating habits lost nearly twice as ...

The American diet is killing us. On that point, public health experts largely agree. And in recent years, people who want to make Americans healthier — across the ideological spectrum — are targeting ultra-processed foods, which make up the majority of ...

In my quest for better health and weight management, I never anticipated that this particular approach would yield the most significant results. Eighteen months ago, in January 2024, I made a resolution to completely eliminate ultra-processed foods from my ...

Clare Collins AO is a Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle, NSW and a Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) affiliated researcher. She is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Leadership Fellow ...