United States proposes new food labeling and ultra-processed food definitions

The United States government is moving to implement new regulations regarding food labeling and the definition of ultra-processed foods. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) have submitted a formal proposal to define ultra-processed foods for final review, aiming to address public health concerns such as obesity and chronic diseases.

Additionally, the administration is introducing updated USDA guidelines for food labeling to improve transparency regarding animal welfare, environmental impact, and production quality. These voluntary guidelines include terms such as ‘Raised without antibiotics’, ‘Grass-fed’, and ‘Climate friendly’.

To increase oversight of food additives, the government is also proposing changes to the ‘Generally Recognized as Safe’ (GRAS) mechanism. This would require companies to notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when they self-determine an ingredient to be safe, providing the agency with more data to monitor the food supply.