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Nine in Ten Research Papers Disputing Definition of Ultraprocessed Foods Have Industry Ties, Study Finds
As efforts to limit ultraprocessed foods gather momentum around the world, a critical side-debate is creeping into the spotlight. The dispute centers on whether the leading standard for defining these foods is suitable for the job.
In recent journal articles, dozens of academics have criticized the methodology behind this standard, which is known as the NOVA classification system. NOVA categorizes foods on a scale of one to four: unprocessed foods like fresh fruit fall under the first category, the fourth indicates ultraprocessed foods like chicken nuggets or Doritos. Other papers have defended the benefits of foods that NOVA classifies as ultraprocessed, arguing that its standard is too broad.
Now there’s a new study in the American Journal of Public Health that has reviewed these NOVA critiques. And it’s made a notable discovery: 91% of them have at least one author with financial ties to the food industry.
Ultra-Processed Food Intake Linked to Possible Signs of Silent Strokes
Healthy adults who eat high amounts of ultra-processed food, like packaged snack foods, sugary breakfast cereals, soft drinks, instant noodles and ready-to-eat frozen meals, are more likely to have signs of damage to the brain that may increase the chances of clinical stroke and future memory problems.
Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the brains of nearly 9,000 people and detected tiny areas of damage more frequently in participants who ate the most ultra-processed food compared with those who ate the least. Participants with the highest intake were 40% more likely to show these changes, which produce no obvious symptoms but are considered early warning signs that can appear years before a stroke or memory problems begin.”I would not have expected this finding, frankly.
We studied middle-aged Canadians who had no heart problems and reported no other health concerns,” said Russell J. de Souza, first author of the study and an associate scientist at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, and an associate professor in Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact and the Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine at McMaster University.
3D-Printed Salmon Is Hitting US Supermarkets but Shoppers May Not See ‘3D-Printed’ Anywhere on the Label
International Business Times reported:
Plant-based salmon patties made on industrial 3D printers have reached American grocery shelves, but the packaging does not tell shoppers how they were made.
Israeli food-tech company Steakholder Foods has launched its Perfecta range, which includes salmon and white fish patties alongside steak and chicken, in the northeastern United States.
Allrecipes, which reviewed the launch, found that the packaging does not state the products are 3D-printed. The products contain no fish or animal meat. Steakholder announced the US launch on 3 September 2026, describing it as the brand’s ‘first commercial placement on US store shelves’.
The Perfecta range covers five items sold as ‘Premium Plant-Based Meat’: chicken breast, filet mignon, marbled steak, salmon patties and white fish patties, Allrecipes reported.
Pennsylvania Advances Bill That Would Set Limits on Heavy Metals in Baby Foods
Food Safety Magazine reported:
The Pennsylvania House has advanced HB 507, introduced by Representative Liz Hanbidge (D-61). Also known as the Baby Food Protection Act, the legislation aims to set enforceable limits for toxic heavy metals in baby foods, as well as testing and labeling requirements.
If passed as-is, the Baby Food Protection Act would set limits for:
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- Total arsenic at 10 parts per billion (ppb)
- Lead at 5 ppb
- Cadmium at 5 ppb
- Mercury at 2 ppb.
Under the act, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture would also be required to test a representative sample of each batch of baby food manufactured in the state for arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. All baby foods tested by the Department of Agriculture would be required to carry a label noting the levels of the four heavy metals present in the product.
Washington State Confirms First H5N1 Avian Flu Detection in Dairy Cattle
Late last week the US Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the detection of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on two Yakima County dairy farms in Washington. “This marks the first known case of HPAI in cattle in Washington state,” state officials said. Since March 2024 dairy cattle herds in 19 states have documented H5N1 infections, including neighboring Idaho.
“Washington State Department of Agriculture conducted on-farm investigations, testing, and gathered additional epidemiological information to better understand this detection and limit further disease spread,” officials said. “The two farms are under quarantine and have employed strict biosecurity measures. Veterinarians are working to treat sick cows.”
In the past 30 days four dairy herds have had H5N1 detections, including herds in Kansas and Texas. So far in 2026, US officials have confirmed avian flu in 93 dairy herds, compared to 917 in 2024 and 171 last year.
“We appreciate how difficult this is for our dairy families, farmworkers, and veterinarians that are working hard to keep animals safe and healthy,” said Washington State Veterinarian Amber Itle, VMD. “The most important thing you can do is implement enhanced biosecurity and report symptoms immediately if animals show signs of illness.”
