Latest from Food Politics: Most studies criticizing the Nova classification of ultra-processed foods are funded by food companies

Jerry Mande of Nourish Science sent me this item from The Examination: Junk food researcher finds hidden hand in ultraprocessed foods debate. This, in turn, referred to Nine in ten research papers disputing definition of ultraprocessed foods have ...

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By Marion Nestle October 20 2026 Most studies criticizing the Nova classification of ultra-processed foods are funded by food companies Jerry Mande of Nourish Science sent me this item from The Examination: Junk food researcher finds hidden hand in ultraprocessed foods debate. This, in turn, referred to Nine in ten research papers disputing definition of ultraprocessed foods have industry ties, study finds. This, in further turn, referred to a study in the American Journal of Public Health: Characterizing Food Industry Affiliations Among Critics of the Nova Food Classification System: A Systematic Review. Am J Public Health. 2026 Nov;116(11):1790-1799. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2026.308691. Epub 2026 Sep 17. Results Of 69 articles from 2009 to 2025 criticizing the Nova classification system for ultra-processed foods or defending ultra-processed foods: 91.3% involved at least 1 industry-affiliated author 68.5% of 232 total authors had food industry ties 65.2% of articles were published in journals associated with nutrition societies with disclosed industry partnerships. Arguments defending or promoting ultraprocessed foods appeared in 39.7% of articles with direct industry ties 60.0% with organizational or governmental industry ties 16.7% of articles with no identified ties. Conclusion Given the tobacco industry’s well-documented strategy of manufacturing academic doubt about its products’ harms, these findings raise concern that the food industry may be following a similar playbook as evidence for the health risks of ultraprocessed foods continues to grow. Comment These results certainly do raise concern.  They confirm what I’ve long suspected.  The food industry does not like the concept of ultra-processed food.  Defining it makes research possible.  This research shows diets high in ultra-processed foods to be bad for health.  If people eat less of them, sales and profits will decline (and this is already happening).  The main opposition to defining ultra-processed foods and advice to eat less of them comes from the food industry (other opposition comes from nutrition researchers who object to the focus on processing rather than nutrient content).  This study provides further evidence for the bias introduced by industry funding of research. The bottom line: not eating too much ultra-processed junk food is likely to improve health. The post Most studies criticizing the Nova classification of ultra-processed foods are funded by food companies appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts Industry-funded study of the week: artificially sweetened drinks vs. water Industry-funded study of the week: the American Beverage Association at work Industry-funded study of the week: dairy trans fats   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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