CFA Urges Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to Recommend Limits on Ultra-Processed Foods

CFA submitted the following letter encouraging the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to focus its attention on ultra-processed foods (UPFs). A growing body of research makes clear that diets high in UPFs cause health problems for reasons that go beyond their typically poor macronutrient content. Nearly a dozen other countries' dietary guidelines recommend that consumers limit consumption of UPFs, particularly those high in salt, sugar, and fat. The current dietary guidelines advise against eating too much of these macronutrients, but this approach has led to regrettable substitutions, such as the use of low and no-calorie sweeteners in lieu of added sugars in the school lunch program. A recommendation to limit ultra-processed foods in the diet would support common sense policies to limit additives in school meal and other federal programs. It would also help to raise awareness among policymakers and consumers about emerging evidence on how food processing may affect health.