Sugary cereal, soda pop and candy are ultra-processed foods that most would agree are generally unhealthy for consumers, but bread, yogurt, milk and a wide range of other ultra-processed foods are recommended by doctors and should be exempt from policies aimed at reducing UPF consumption, according to a new report by Healthy Eating Research (HER).
The study, “Ultraprocessed Foods in the US: Recommended Definitions and Policies,” conducted by HER brought together a panel of health care experts to explore the possible mechanisms for exempting some UPFs from public policy changes.
The report, released in May, comes as federal regulators consider establishing a definition for UPFs.
Last summer, FDA, HHS and USDA announced a joint effort to develop a clear and uniform definition for UPFs. Currently, they are defined by the NOVA classification system, which critics have argued fails to capture the nuance of good versus bad UPFs.
Not all UPFs
“Modeling of a modified FDA ‘healthy’ definition showed substantial variation across UPF categories in the proportion of products that would be exempted as meeting both NOVA 4 and ‘healthy’ criteria (e.g., 11% of UPF breads and 4% of ready-to-eat cereals, compared with 43% of tofu and 78% of waters),” the study found.
The panel recommends focusing on section four of the NOVA classification system for determining what constitutes healthy versus unhealthy UPFs.
“The panel recommends a single, standardized exemption framework for policies targeting UPF,” the HER report noted, adding that products should be exempt if they meet a modification of the FDA “healthy” criteria:
- Provide sufficient food group equivalents of foods recommended for consumption, as defined by FDA
- Fall below FDA‑established thresholds for added sugars, sodium and saturated fat
- Do not contain non-sugar sweeteners
Physicians agree with UPF nuance
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine released a statement in May, noting its support for the HER recommendation that non-harmful UPFs should be exempted from policy decisions targeting harmful UPFs.
“Many people have been told to avoid processed foods, but the science is clearly telling us that we need to be more nuanced,” said Noah Praamsma, registered dietitian with the, a national health advocacy nonprofit. “Processed meat like bacon, hot dogs and deli meat should absolutely be avoided, but many plant-based foods that are considered ultraprocessed, like breads, cereals and meat alternatives are actually good for your health.”
PCRM noted that the final definition will impact public policy and have real consequences for school lunch programs and other government-run facilities.
“We need policies informed by science, not ideology, and that are robust enough to actually promote beneficial food and discourage unhealthy foods,” Praamsma said.
Plant-based exception
The conventional wisdom is that the more processed a product is the more health concerns it brings to consumers, but plant-based meat is the exception, according to Praamsma.
“If you replace your steak, your hamburger, even a piece of chicken, with a plant-based alternative, even if it is processed, that tends to result in better health outcomes,” he added. “We’re really trying to encourage people to use that as their framework, choosing more plants rather than animal foods as a pathway to better health.”
While plant-based meat is healthier than real meat, they’re still less healthy than a plant-based product that is lightly processed or not processed at all, he said.
“Eating a bowl of beans is going to be healthier and much higher in fiber, lower in fat than something like a plant-based burger that’s meant to emulate the flavor of a beef burger, because they use oils and ingredients that are not necessarily great for your health, so the question is oftentimes, what are you comparing?” he said.
