By Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University
The Swette Center joined forces last week with the Heartland Health Research Alliance and several food and nutrition experts. Together, we responded to a request for information from the USDA and FDA on how to identify ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
WARNING! Our submission is 67 pages long. But it is jam-packed with useful ideas, references, and links. It is our contribution to a growing conversation about UPFs and how to shift American diets away from UPFs and toward whole foods.
My favorite junk food is Cheetos – cheese that goes crunch. There is no question as to whether Cheetos are UPFs and that it is a treat, not a regular dietary choice. But it’s not so obvious for many other foods. I’m hopeful that this contribution contributes to a more nuanced conversation about what constitutes healthy food and how best to steer consumers to healthy options.