Americans are eating fewer ultra-processed foods than a decade ago, but the products still make up the majority of calories consumed in the country, according to a CDC report released yesterday that could serve as a roadmap for policymakers and industry as pressure mounts to clean up the food supply.
More than half (55%) of the calories Americans consumed between August 2021 and August 2023 came from ultra-processed foods, which the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics defined in the brief as “hyperpalatable, energy-dense, low in dietary fiber and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners and unhealthy fats.”
The report revealed the proportion of calories from ultra-processed food in this period was significantly higher among children than adults, accounting for 61.9% of the calories consumed by 1- to 18-years-old and 53% for those 19-years and older.
A closer examination of children’s diets revealed 1- to 5-year-olds consumed fewer calories from ultra-processed foods (56.1%) than 6- to 11-year-olds and teenagers aged 12 to 18 years for whom ultra-processed foods made up 64.8% and 63% of their diets, respectively, according to the report.
Adults older than 19 years consumed the least calories from ultra-processed foods at an average of 53%, according to the brief.
Findings could add fuel to the political fire surrounding UPFs
The findings echo those of the contested inaugural report from the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which claimed UPFs high in added sugars, chemical additives and saturated fats “dominate” children’s diets and displace nutrient-dense whole foods, which it said contributes to caloric intake and weight gain.
The MAHA report in turn reiterated many of the claims by HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who chairs the commission. He repeatedly has blamed UPFs for “poisoning” children and contributing to a rise in chronic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
Some food scientists, industry stakeholders and public health advocates have pushed back against blanket assessments of UPFs as unhealthy, arguing ingredients, not processing, dictate their health impact. They note some UPFs are nutrient-dense, lower in calories and tailored to support specific diets.
Central to the blame-game is a lack of a clear, agreed upon definition for UPFs – which HHS and USDA recently announced they would address. Late last month, the agencies requested information to help define UPFs, which they said in turn would “allow for consistency in research and policy to pave the way for addressing health concerns associated with” their consumption.
“Manufacturers and distributors of food products should consider responding to the RFI,” Venable attorneys Claudia Lewis and Nicole Yapp told clients in a recent memo.
“Engaging early in this process can help ensure that the final definition of UPFs is both practical for implementation and reflective of the production realities across the food sector,” they explain.
Comments are due Sept. 23.
The lack of a unified definition also blocked the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee from weighing in on the health impact of UPFs in its scientific report submitted to HHS in early December. The report historically serves as a basis for updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years.
In May, Kennedy criticized the report for looking “like it was written by the food processing industry,” and said HHS and USDA would go through it “line-by-line” before releasing the final guidelines, which are due Dec. 31.
UPF consumption is falling
Even though UPFs are not clearly defined – or understood by most consumers – many shoppers in recent years say they want to eat more “clean label” and natural, whole foods.
This too is reflected in the CDC report.
The average percentage of calories consumed by adults from ultra-processed food decrease a statistically significant amount from 56% in 2017 to 2018 to 53% in 2021 to 2023, according to the report. Likewise, the average percentage of calories consumed by children fell from 65.6% to 61.9% in the same time periods.
Where should industry, policymakers concentrate to reduce UPFs?
The report also highlights the top UPF categories contributing to caloric consumption for children and adults, which could reveal opportunities for industry to develop more clean-label, minimally processed alternatives.
For both groups, sandwiches and sweet bakery products were the top two UPF categories, accounting for 8.6% and 5.2% of adults’ diets and 7.6% and 6.3% of children’s diets, respectively.
Savory snacks, pizza and sweetened beverages were the other three top UPF categories for children. For adults, sweetened beverages, savory snacks and breads/rolls/tortillas were the other three top UPF contributors to their diets, according to the report.
