NAM: New Food Processing Definition Risks Higher Costs, Consumer Confusion

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture announced that they submitted the federal government’s first proposed definition of “ultra-processed foods,” for final review this week. The decision has not yet been made public (Yahoo! Finance).

The NAM responds: “Manufacturers across America’s food and beverage supply chain are committed to providing safe, nutritious and affordable options for American families and communities every day,” said Executive Vice President Erin Streeter.

• “A federal label that stigmatizes foods based on how they are made—not the nutrition they provide—risks confusing customers, increasing costs and limiting consumer choice. This approach could also have significant economic consequences for manufacturers, workers and communities across the food and beverage supply chain, while slowing the innovation needed to meet consumers’ evolving dietary, nutritional and accessibility needs.”
• “Manufacturers share the administration’s goals of improving public health, but federal food policy must be grounded in rigorous, gold-standard science that helps Americans eat well and stay focused on nutritional value and overall dietary patterns. Anything less risks imposing greater costs on American families without clear evidence of improving public health.”

As the NAM has noted: “Food policies based on nutrition rather than process will help consumers make informed choices, avoid the unintended consequences of higher costs or reduced access to food and beverages without clear health benefits, and support a strong, innovative U.S. manufacturing sector that drives economic growth and helps feed American families,” the NAM said previously.

Also this week: The FDA proposed requiring companies to notify the agency when introducing new ingredients under the “generally recognized as safe” or GRAS, pathway, replacing the voluntary notification system.

• “We appreciate the Administration’s focus on this important issue and look forward to working with them as we review the proposed rule. This is why manufacturers are encouraging Congress to pass GRAS modernization along with a uniform national standard for food policy to maintain consistent standards and keep costs low for American families,” the NAM said on X.