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Human ‘Biology Was Never Intended to Handle’ Ultraprocessed Foods, Former FDA Head David Kessler Warns
Today, an increasing number of Americans across the political spectrum – from Make America Healthy Again activists to everyday shoppers – are voicing concern about the health impact of ultraprocessed foods – those boxed and wrapped in plastic, ready-to-eat items lining grocery store shelves.
Leading the charge are two men who disagree on pretty much everything else about public health – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. David Kessler, the former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
As we first reported in February, the two men have found common ground over a common culprit: a 67-year-old government classification for substances in our food. It’s called GRAS, or generally recognized as safe. Kennedy and Kessler say it has allowed big food companies to use ingredients without a full government safety review and flood the market with ultraprocessed foods that now make up 50% of our calories and 60% of our children’s diets.
Froot Loops Maker WK Kellogg Will Cut Artificial Colors a Year Ahead of Schedule
WK Kellogg will fully remove artificial colors from Froot Loops and other cereals later this year, nearly 12 months ahead of schedule — a move the company hopes will provide much-needed momentum to a category that has struggled during the last decade.
The food manufacturer had previously removed synthetic colors from most of its cereals, but some remain in Froot Loops, Apple Jacks and a handful of limited-time offerings, which collectively totaled about 15% of Kellogg’s portfolio. The Michigan-based company committed last year to entirely eliminate the use of the controversial ingredients by the end of 2027.
Kellogg will switch to six colors derived from fruit and vegetable juices, as well as other plant-based ingredients. For example, turmeric is being used for yellow and annatto for orange. Hundreds of different ingredient alternatives were tested.
Natural Food Dyes Are Winning the Snack Wars
American shoppers are increasingly buying food made from natural colors.
Since last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has moved to phase out synthetic dyes from food. Now, research shows that consumer demand is trending in the same direction as shoppers opt for products that use natural colorants like beets, grape, paprika, and turmeric instead of artificial dyes.
According to a new report from the trade group National Confectioners Association and the research firm RTI International, sales of food and beverage with “natural colors” listed on their packaging grew by 24.4% from 2024 to 2025. In the same period, products with “artificial colors” listed on their packaging grew just 0.1%. Products with some artificial colors like Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6, have seen sales fall.
The sales growth in products with natural colors was most pronounced in prepared foods (up 52.5%), diet and nutrition products (40.6%), and baking, seasoning, and toppings (27.1%). It was also up for things like candy (19.1%) and beverages (12.1%).
Eating More Processed Foods Lowers Your Levels Of These Key Nutrients
Ultra-processed foods (think packaged snacks, fast food, frozen meals, sugary drinks) now make up a large share of what many people eat every day. They’re convenient, affordable, and many are engineered to be hard to stop eating. They’re also not known for being nutrient dense.
So what happens to your vitamin and mineral status as you consume more of these processed foods? Researchers of a new study just investigated that relationship. Here’s what you need to know.
Researchers set out to identify how ultra-processed food consumption influences micronutrient status (the levels of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in the body) across different stages of life. Micronutrient deficiencies remain a major global health problem, hitting children and women of reproductive age hardest. And it’s important to understand what role UPF consumption may play in it.
4 Ways the Food Industry Fools Your Senses
Companies use a range of tricks to make your food taste more flavorful.
Many of these tactics come straight from the tobacco industry playbook – and they’re so effective that some ultra-processed foods, or UPF, are considered addictive.
But companies are not just targeting your taste buds. They’re tricking your other senses, too. It’s all part of a sales strategy to make their food products as appealing as possible, and most people never even realize it.
From the time you see a packaged food to the smell you get when you open it to the sound it makes when you bite into it – you’re subject to marketing ploys the food industry has spent decades and millions of dollars perfecting. Here’s how companies use these tactics to sell ultra-processed products, from cream cheese to chips to cheese puffs.
Smell is a powerful sensory cue. Specific scents can bring up old memories, evoke an emotional response and – of course – trigger hunger.
Food companies, retailers and restaurants have figured out how to use this to their advantage.
