Overview

• The CDC’s latest data show that 55 percent of daily calories consumed by Americans age one and older come from ultra-processed foods.
• Children and teens get about 62 percent of their calories from these foods, while adults receive about 53 percent, reflecting modest declines since 2017–18.
• Burgers and other sandwiches, sweet bakery products, savory snacks, pizza and sweetened beverages are the leading contributors to ultra-processed caloric intake.
• Lower-income adults consume a larger share of ultra-processed calories than higher-income adults, although intake among children is consistently high across income levels.
• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is advocating a uniform NOVA definition with restrictions on SNAP purchases to address chronic health risks.