Abstract
Abstract
Recent U.S. federal nutrition policy adopts guidelines based on the concept of ultra-processed foods while disavowing a health-equity lens. The combination of these policy planks is worrisome. One issue is that ultra-processed foods are not well-defined and are subject to a still-emerging body of research; the health effects of food processing are very much still under investigation. Another issue is that by disavowing a health-equity lens, we lose a substantive critique of nutrition advice: feeding oneself is subject to systemic pressures that intersect with social identities like race and socioeconomic status. The loss of this critique is exacerbated by the “Make America Healthy Again” social media movement behind the recent federal nutrition policy changes. Therefore, we should be concerned about new federal nutrition policies like the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines and correlate defunding of programs like SNAP and WIC.