GREENVILLE, S.C. (InvestigateTV) – Ultra-processed foods have been linked to chronic health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, and cancer.
A 2025 study found that those foods make up more than half of the calories Americans eat at home.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle are taking aim at the state and federal levels. In October 2025, California became the first state to outright ban ultra-processed foods from school lunches.
Then in early 2026, Healthy and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rolled out a new set of dietary rules, including the federal government’s first ever guidance for Americans on avoiding “highly-process food.”
“Something is poisoning the American people,” RFK, Jr. said. “And we know that the primary culprit is our food, our changing food supply, the switch to highly chemical-intensive processed foods.”
But what exactly makes food ultra-processed?
According to Johns Hopkins, the food contains an ingredient that wouldn’t be found in a kitchen, like chemical based preservatives, sweeteners, or artificial colors and flavors.
While cookies, chips, and sugary drinks spring to mind, this can include many prepackaged whole grain breads, yogurts, and instant oatmeal as ultra-processed.
As researchers learn more and lawmakers move to regulate these types of food, we found that some Americans are already seeing the benefit of making more fresh choices at the grocery store.
Choosing fresh over processed
The options can feel endless when you walk through the grocery store.
“You have like the instant pizzas and the tortilla rolls, but then you have the Velveeta mac and cheese,” said Kristin Hazelton.
Hazelton said many of these foods are also convenient.
“It’s instant, fast, microwavable, that kind of stuff,” Hazelton said. “So we used to grab that stuff on the run. When we’re in a hurry.”
But convenient doesn’t always mean healthy, according to Dr. Nita Bijoor, a family physician at Oakview Medical Associates in Greenville.
“Overall, we know that ultra-processed foods are linked to a lot of chronic diseases,” Dr. Bijoor said. “They’re linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and also certain cancers.”
Dr. Bijoor said ultra-processed foods can be hard to put down.
“There’s some emerging studies that show that ultra-processed foods can actually change our brain chemistry a little bit and almost make us crave even more processed foods or even more carbs,” Bijoor said.
For Hazelton, the switch in diet came when she started cutting out ultra-processed foods a few years ago. She would replace them with lots of fruits and vegetables and reportedly lost 40 pounds.
“As I started to eliminate some of those, your body feels different,” Hazelton said. “You feel more like yourself in your own skin. So yeah, huge difference in changing the diet.”
Companies face lawsuit pressure
Food manufacturers aren’t only facing pressure in the form of regulations and guidelines, there are also lawsuits currently pending in court.
In December 2025, the City of San Francisco announced a lawsuit against some of the country’s largest manufacturers of ultra-processed foods.
That lawsuit names companies like Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Nestle USA, and the Coca-Cola Company.
It alleges the industry knew its products were making people sick, but continued to market increasingly addictive and harmful products in order to maximize profits.
The National Manufacturers Association responded to the lawsuit, saying food and beverage manufacturers fully comply with FDA safety and nutrition standards.
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