Criticism of processed foods is not new. However, until recently, the finger-pointing was placed squarely on a specific ingredient or nutrient: too much sugar, too much fat, not enough protein.
What has changed is a growing appreciation of the foods and beverages that people actually eat, rather than specific nutrients. This includes a greater interest in the nature and extent of manufacturing that goes into making processed foods and the potential impact of those multiple processing steps on hea…
Former USDA nutrition policy leader and senior executive Robert Post reflects on the new national diet and nutrition guidance.
Worn down by inflation and uncertain economic conditions, food and beverage shoppers want products that deliver tangible benefits per dollar.
Former NIH researcher Kevin Hall argues that debates about ultra-processed foods are still missing the deeper mechanisms at play—and explains why asking better questions matters more than chasing tidy definitions.
Dialogue author Arlin Wasserman encourages the food industry to avoid getting defensive in response to the MAHA movement and instead to celebrate the positive steps food companies have taken to replace artificial ingredients in food formulations.
With consumers increasingly looking for enhanced nutrition, the functional foods market must find a way to balance the addition of in-demand ingredients with minimal processing.