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​​Ultra-Processed Foods and the Environment​

​The Fourth of July evokes images of fireworks, family gatherings and celebrations that wouldn't be complete without grilled food hot off the barbeque. While a juicy hotdog in a white bread roll could be alright every once in a while, it's important to remember how our diet i​mpacts ourselves and the environment.

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) commission was established by Executive Order 14212 in February 2025. The commission recently published, the Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment, or MAHA Report for short. This comprehensive document reviews many of the dangers that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) pose to our bodies, minds and health. Research also shows that UPFs have a significant impact on our environment. ¹

What is considered a UPF?

The Nova Food Classification S​ystem defines UPF as industrially manufactured food products made up of several ingredients (formulations) including sugar, oils, fats and salt and food substances of no or rare culinary use.² This essentially means food products that have ingredients not traditionally found in a kitchen, such as maltodextrins, gums, nitrates, flavors, preservatives, non-sugar sweeteners, emulsifiers and other additives. UPFs are typically pre-packaged, ready-to-consume and are formulated for shelf life or palatability as opposed to nourishment.²

Health Impacts of UPFs

UPFs could have a wide variety of health impacts depending on the substances involved. These impacts include hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, cardiovascular disease, interference with gut microbiome, type 2 diabetes and increased cancer risk.³  UPFs are products at their core, so they are engineered to be as desirable and consumable as possible. These products could alter the body's satiety mechanisms and result in unnecessarily high caloric intake, which can bring about or intensify the effects of obesity.³

Environmental Impact of UPF

An extensive array of substances found in UPFs can be traced back to about 15 crop plants, which means that the growing and rearing of UPF substances greatly impacts biodiversity and runoff.⁴ The chemical and industrial techniques used in the UPFs' processing also contribute to extensive energy usage and air pollution.⁵ Meat-based UPFs in particular have the highest environmental effects, as livestock food and water requirements stack on top of the UPF's impacts.⁶

UPFs, despite their effects, are still an integral part of modern society and the continuous fight against hunger. This month's spotlight article, with the Director of the NIH Office of Nutritional Research, goes into further detail about a unique perspective in which intentional food scientists develop UPF products that are healthier and more environmentally friendly.⁷  For now, by eating locally sourced and minimally processed foods, you can reduce the negative health impacts for both yourself and the environment. If you start craving hotdogs, perhaps try some sausages from your local butcher with some homemade buns.

Happy Fourth of July!​

​​Spotlight                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​UPF and Nutrition with Dr. Andrew Bremer​​ ​ Dr. Andrew Bremer is the director of the Office of Nutritional Research (ONR) under the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. Given the zeitgeist shift of the past decade, he has become very familiar with many different viewpoints about ultra-processed foods (UPFs).​​​​​​​​​ LEARN MORE

​​Take Action                                                                                                                                                                              ​                                                                                                

​	Alternatives to UPFs​​​ ​ There are several alternatives to UPFs that we will review in this article. Hopefully you can give one a try! Each one comes with its own benefits, drawbacks and environmental impacts. LEARN MORE​

Fun Fact                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Did you know? ​​According to the MAHA Report, UPFs were built into the fabric of the post-World War II American society and economy.​ Today, roughly 70% of the over 300,000 branded food products available in grocery stores today are ultra-processed.

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