The scientists, including the Brazilian professor who coined the term with colleagues around 15 years ago, argue that ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, are now increasingly common worldwide and linked to a decline in diet quality and a number of diseases, from obesity to cancer.

“It’s about the evidence we have today about … ultra-processed foods and human health,” Carlos Monteiro, professor at the University of Sao Paulo, said at an online briefing on Tuesday. “What we know right now justifies global public action.”

Processing and politics

UPFs are a class of food or drink made using processing techniques, additives and industrial ingredients, and mostly containing little whole foods. Examples include carbonated soft drinks or instant noodles.

While the term UPF has been used widely in recent years, some scientists, and the food industry, argue it is too simple, and the fight has become increasingly politicized.

The authors acknowledge criticisms in the Lancet series, saying more evidence is needed, particularly on why and how UPFs cause ill health, as well as on products with different nutritional values within the UPF class. But they say the signal is already strong enough for governments to take action.

In a systematic review of 104 long-term studies done for the series, 92 reported greater associated risks with one or more chronic diseases linked to UPF dietary patterns, and significant associations for 12 health conditions including Type 2 diabetes, obesity and depression.

Consumption rising

Most of these studies were only designed to show links, rather than direct causality, which the authors acknowledged. But they said the situation needed to be addressed while more data was gathered, not least because consumption of UPFs is rising worldwide as a share of the diet, to above 50 per cent in countries like the United States.

The three papers in the series, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, also outline ways to tackle the problem, such as adding UPFs into national policies on foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt. But they cautioned that the UPF industry is the biggest barrier to tackling the issue.

The International Food and Beverage Alliance, an organization representing major multinational food and beverage companies, said its members also wanted to improve global health outcomes through diet quality, and food companies should be part of policymaking.

“The policy and advocacy recommendations of this series go far beyond the available evidence,” said Secretary-General Rocco Renaldi, arguing there was a risk of reducing the availability of affordable, shelf-stable options globally.

— Reporting by Jennifer Rigby in London

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Fifty-eight per cent of Canadians have a positive view of the food system, up from 45 per cent in 2024 according to the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s annual public trust research report.

The report also showed that 45 per cent of Canadians feel the system is headed in the right direction, the highest level since a surge brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It attributed this, in large part, to Canadians rallying around domestic goods in the face of trade tensions.

Scientists more trusted than farmers

While trust and transparency in stakeholders strengthened overall, scientists overtook farmers for the first time as the most trusted among all food system stakeholders with 44 per cent of people rating them as trustworthy. The report suggests this “highlights the growing importance of science and research in shaping public perceptions.”

Farmers remained a close second, at 42 per cent.

Results also demonstrated confidence in farmers as environmental stewards has bounced back slightly from 2024. Twenty-three per cent of respondents strongly agreed that farmers are good stewards versus 19 per cent last year.

The three least trusted stakeholders were AI tools, social media personalities and politicians, though AI tools such as ChatGPT were listed as one of the top five most used information sources Canadians use to make informed food choices, suggesting a “difference between credibility and exposure.”

Canadians’ trust in the country’s food inspection system reached a new high with 27 per cent strongly agreeing that they trust in the safety of Canadian food compared to 14 per cent in 2024.

Trade tensions shift trust

Geopolitical tensions appear to have also influenced Canadians’ impressions of food beyond their borders.

In 2023, 22 per cent of respondents trusted food imports from America more than other international exporters. Only 12 per cent said they trusted other sources more. In 2025 that number almost completely reversed, with 15 per cent trusting the U.S. and 23 per cent trusting other sources.

The report compares Canada’s ongoing trade tensions with the U.S. to 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as both years saw the “food system thrust into the spotlight, both nationally and locally.”

“Positive impressions are rising, but they remain fragile,” the report said. “To sustain and strengthen this momentum, Canada’s food system will need more than temporary visibility.”

It also recognizes the 2025 results as a moment of optimism, one on which the country and the food sectors must capitalize.

“To hold onto this trust, the sector must turn temporary attention into lasting connection,” the report said. “Canadians respond to what feels close, human, and relevant. Trusted messengers such as farmers, scientists, and food experts need to stay visible, not only in moments of crisis or national pride but in the everyday stories that remind people why Canada’s food system matters.”

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Fifty-eight per cent of Canadians have a positive view of the food system, up from 45 per cent in 2024 according to the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s annual public trust research report.

The report also showed that 45 per cent of Canadians feel the system is headed in the right direction, the highest level since a surge brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It attributed this, in large part, to Canadians rallying around domestic goods in the face of trade tensions.

Scientists more trusted than farmers

While trust and transparency in stakeholders strengthened overall, scientists overtook farmers for the first time as the most trusted among all food system stakeholders with 44 per cent of people rating them as trustworthy. The report suggests this “highlights the growing importance of science and research in shaping public perceptions.”

Farmers remained a close second, at 42 per cent.

Results also demonstrated confidence in farmers as environmental stewards has bounced back slightly from 2024. Twenty-three per cent of respondents strongly agreed that farmers are good stewards versus 19 per cent last year.

The three least trusted stakeholders were AI tools, social media personalities and politicians, though AI tools such as ChatGPT were listed as one of the top five most used information sources Canadians use to make informed food choices, suggesting a “difference between credibility and exposure.”

Canadians’ trust in the country’s food inspection system reached a new high with 27 per cent strongly agreeing that they trust in the safety of Canadian food compared to 14 per cent in 2024.

Trade tensions shift trust

Geopolitical tensions appear to have also influenced Canadians’ impressions of food beyond their borders.

In 2023, 22 per cent of respondents trusted food imports from America more than other international exporters. Only 12 per cent said they trusted other sources more. In 2025 that number almost completely reversed, with 15 per cent trusting the U.S. and 23 per cent trusting other sources.

The report compares Canada’s ongoing trade tensions with the U.S. to 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as both years saw the “food system thrust into the spotlight, both nationally and locally.”

“Positive impressions are rising, but they remain fragile,” the report said. “To sustain and strengthen this momentum, Canada’s food system will need more than temporary visibility.”

It also recognizes the 2025 results as a moment of optimism, one on which the country and the food sectors must capitalize.

“To hold onto this trust, the sector must turn temporary attention into lasting connection,” the report said. “Canadians respond to what feels close, human, and relevant. Trusted messengers such as farmers, scientists, and food experts need to stay visible, not only in moments of crisis or national pride but in the everyday stories that remind people why Canada’s food system matters.”

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“This package of regulatory changes is about building a regulatory environment that reflects and responds to the realities of today’s agriculture sector,” said federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald in a Wednesday press release.

The changes to the Health of Animals Regulations and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations fall into three categories: removing overly prescriptive requirements; increasing flexibility and speed; and levelling the playing field for the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector.

Industries of greatest impact are fruit and vegetable, and livestock — mainly poultry and veal.

For fruit and vegetable producers, the changes include:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables will no longer require prescriptive label.
• Produce intended for further processing, manufacturing, or preserving is exempt from mandatory grading requirements.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables grade standards will be managed by the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation to more effectively meet industry needs.

Changes for the poultry industry include:

• Reduction of traceability labelling requirements for hatching eggs and chicks to align with current industry practices.
• Required testing for Salmonella Enteritidis on hatching eggs imported from the United States to licensed Canadian hatcheries.

Changes to livestock regulation are:

• Increased efficiency and ease in updating animal import rules to align with international standards or new science.
• Updated import requirements for veal to give more flexibility.

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“This package of regulatory changes is about building a regulatory environment that reflects and responds to the realities of today’s agriculture sector,” said federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald in a Wednesday press release.

The changes to the Health of Animals Regulations and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations fall into three categories: removing overly prescriptive requirements; increasing flexibility and speed; and levelling the playing field for the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector.

Industries of greatest impact are fruit and vegetable, and livestock — mainly poultry and veal.

For fruit and vegetable producers, the changes include:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables will no longer require prescriptive label.

• Produce intended for further processing, manufacturing, or preserving is exempt from mandatory grading requirements.

• Fresh fruits and vegetables grade standards will be managed by the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation to more effectively meet industry needs.

Changes for the poultry industry include:

• Reduction of traceability labelling requirements for hatching eggs and chicks to align with current industry practices.

• Required testing for Salmonella Enteritidis on hatching eggs imported from the United States to licensed Canadian hatcheries.

Changes to livestock regulation are:

• Increased efficiency and ease in updating animal import rules to align with international standards or new science.

• Updated import requirements for veal to give more flexibility.

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All Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence holders who are slaughtering poultry are expected to implement the pre-chill microbiological monitoring program by Dec. 1, 2025. Currently, the scope of this program is limited to poultry carcasses.

WHY IT MATTERS: The CFIA’s new policy comes into force Dec. 1, 2025, for Canada’s poultry sector.

Live birds bring a load of pathogens in the intestine to the slaughter process. Every stage from the hanging of the carcass in live receiving to its entrance into the chiller has the potential to influence the microbial load on the final product.

Monitoring the microbial load at a defined point before carcasses are in their pre-chill mode allows for a more precise evaluation of contamination control measures applied during the dressing and evisceration stages.

Data generated through the pre-chill microbiological monitoring program is intended to drive science-based decisions within an operator’s food safety system to optimize interventions and enhance food safety. This information will empower license holders to verify the effectiveness of their control measures, validate the impact of process changes and optimize interventions, including microbial interventions, equipment sanitation protocols and adjustments to evisceration techniques. License holders will also be able to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the Preventive Control Plan requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. When operators establish their internal performance baseline using pre-chill microbiological monitoring data, they will be able to allow businesses to track their own performance over time, identify shifts in process control and pursue improvement initiatives.

Pre-chill or early-stage microbiological monitoring can be integral components of comprehensive poultry safety management systems. Authorities like the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) incorporate requirements for microbiological monitoring at various stages, including consideration of pre-chill data, to verify process control in poultry slaughter establishments.

The CFIA developed the following microbiological sampling measures to help food businesses comply with section 47 and 89 (1)(c) of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. The implementation of the pre-chill microbiological monitoring program supports direct compliance with hazard identification and analysis, which requires operators to identify and analyze biological hazards such as indicator organisms that reflect potential fecal or environmental contamination, which can pose a risk to the contamination of food.

Operators are also required to follow hazard control measures to prevent, eliminate and reduce identified hazards to an acceptable level using control measures shown by evidence to be effective. The pre-chill microbiological monitoring program is a tool to generate such evidence for controls applied during evisceration and dressing.

The Preventative Control Plan must be written and include a description of identified biological hazards, the control measures used to address them and evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of those control measures. The pre-chill microbiological monitoring program results contribute directly to fulfilling this evidence.

The microbiological monitoring of poultry carcasses at pre-chill locations and comparison with post-chill locations will specifically help demonstrate that contamination is effectively minimized through evisceration and dressing process.

Operators can use sampling and testing procedures developed by provincial counterparts, industry associations, international partners or academic bodies if they can achieve the same outcome. The guidance must be tailored to a particular business, product or products and market requirements. The process must also meet foreign country requirements.

The pre-chill microbiological monitoring program should be integrated to the Preventative Control Plan supporting the Process Verification Monitoring Program for general E.coli- Biotype I for raw poultry as a complement, not a duplicate. The implementation of the pre-chill microbiological monitoring program should leverage the Process Verification Monitoring Program including processes such as random sampling principles, record-keeping systems or corrective action framework. This will ensure consistency and efficiency and avoid unnecessary duplication.

There’s a distinction in the sampling point and primary focus; the Primary Verification Monitoring Program assesses the overall process outcome by testing carcasses after chilling, which shows the effects of slaughter, dressing and chilling interventions. In contrast, the pre-chill microbiological monitoring program provides specific verification data on the controls applied during evisceration and dressing by sampling before chilling. This paired sampling approach (pre-chill and post-chill) allows for a direct assessment of the microbial change occurring between these two important points.

Food businesses must comply with the law. They demonstrate compliance by ensuring commodities and processes they are responsible for demonstrate compliance. If a written Preventative Control Plan is required, the food business develops a Preventative Control Plan with supporting documents, monitors and maintains evidence of its implementation and verifies that all control measures are effective.

CFIA verifies the compliance of food businesses by inspection and sampling.

For producers who want to learn how to use the pre-chill microbiological monitoring program, they can learn more on the CFIA’s website.

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The organization said in a release the funding will enhance its ability to expand programming and connect with a broader audience across Ontario and beyond.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness announced the three-year funding agreement with Farm and Food Care Ontario June 5.

“This show of support by the province is extremely encouraging for the direction of FFCO’s work,” said Chair Janelle Cardiff in the release. “It reiterates the importance of engaging farmers and the public in meaningful conversations.”

Six outreach initiatives will benefit from the funding, including FFCO’s Breakfast on/from the Farm. This event introduces the non-farming public to modern agriculture and connects them directly with farmers.

Food industry outreach by FFCO includes day-long farm and food processing tours, webinars and relationship-building activities between the agriculture and food industries.

“When people know where their food comes from, they can easily choose the freshest, most delicious food to feed their families,” said Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, in the release. “This has the added benefits of supporting Ontario’s farmers, communities and our economy and helping to protect the Ontario agriculture and food industry and local food supply chain.”

Cardiff said OMAFA’s continued support allows FFCO to create new tools and further develop its existing agriculture food production program to engage Ontarians and answer questions about Ontario’s food and farming.

FFCO’s and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association’s award-winning initiative, “More than a Migrant Worker,” as well as FFCO’s library of agricultural resources, which includes a free media and industry-accessible photo and digital asset library and training for farmers and agri-business professionals will also be supported by the funding.

FFCO’s goal is to connect the public with Ontario’s passionate farm families and feel “confident that farmers are working hard to produce healthy, affordable, safe and ethical food sustainably 365 days per year.”

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture decision is a victory for meat companies and industry associations such as the National Chicken Council, which have advocated for faster processing line speeds.

However, it adds to health concerns about slaughterhouse workers, who often perform repetitive tasks with sharp knives and toil in extreme heat or cold.

USDA will start a process to make permanent higher speeds that it allows at some facilities under waivers, according to a statement. Chicken plants with waivers can process up to 175 birds per minute, compared to a previous limit of 140 birds.

The agency also will extend waivers, allowing facilities to “meet demand without excessive government interference,” the statement said.

USDA’s announcement cited a lack of direct links between processing speeds and workplace injuries, but research shows that meatpacking workers face a greater risk of serious harm.

Worker unions and other advocacy groups have long argued that greater speeds threaten food safety and pose a higher risk of stress injuries and accidents for workers. Immigrants and undocumented workers often fill meatpacking jobs.

“Increased line speeds will hurt workers – it’s not a maybe, it’s a definite,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents 15,000 poultry workers.

In his first term, President Donald Trump in 2019 issued a rule that allowed pork plants to run processing lines as quickly as they wanted. A federal judge blocked the rule in 2021 after a challenge from worker unions.

The Biden administration in 2023 allowed six pork plants to operate faster in a trial program for which USDA collected data on worker injuries.

Making the higher speeds permanent will increase stability for pork producers, the National Pork Producers Council industry group said.

USDA-funded data, released in January, found pork and chicken plant workers face higher risks than other manufacturing workers for musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Among six pork plants, higher line speeds were associated with greater risks for workers at one plant and lower risks at another, while line speeds did not make a statistically significant difference at four facilities, according to the data.

There was no association between greater speeds and higher risks for poultry workers, the data showed.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate occupational illness cases reported in the animal slaughtering and processing industry were six times higher than the average for all industries in 2022.

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AHC EMD Director Erica Charlton delivered updates at the recent AHC 2024 Annual Forum in Ottawa.

Depopulation training

Charlton mentioned a new depopulation training project which is underway in partnership with ACER consulting.

“This will help inform a Canadian training program that we’re going to develop with ACER,” she said.

AHC has a workshop scheduled for early November with international experts presenting on best practices, which will also help inform the Canadian training program.

“It’s been opened up beyond the swine sector to include other livestock sectors because depopulation has a lot of similarities.”

Working with fairs and exhibitions

“In mid-summer, with the [avian influenza] outbreak still raging in the U.S., we thought we’d better get in front of folks that do fairs and exhibitions,” Charlton said.

Following this, AHC worked with other groups like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Dairy Farmers of Canada and others “to very quickly turn around and produce biosecurity recommendations for fairs and exhibition audiences.”

The information was then put up online and shared through organizations like 4-H Canada.

Division expansion

Charlton introduced the new members of the ED team: Michelle Follensbee, emergency management project manager, will focus on the wild pig file and ASF exercise planning,

Dr. Afolakemi (Kemi) Adeniji, emergency management project lead and liaison on CanSpotASF committees for ASF surveillance,

Kori Maki-Adair, the EM Division coordinator, working on division administration, and Temidayo Adewole, Project Manager and videographer.

ASF Mock exercises

AHC is moving forward with mock exercises to prepare for outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF).

“As the sector creates ASF preparedness plans, we owe it to ourselves to test them through mock exercises.”

Several exercises happened over the past year, Charlton said. They were either hosted by AHC or by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) with AHC in attendance.

FMD Integrated Emergency Response Plan

Another item Charlton gave an update on was the foot and mouth disease (FMD) Integrated Emergency Response Plan (IERP).

“This work will focus on clarifying, helping and finding roles and responsibilities for federal, provincial and territorial governments and industry partners in the event and before an animal disease outbreak,” she said.

“To do this, we’ve recently struck a number of smaller committees and discussions.”

AHC also has some related exercises planned for Nov. 25.

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The province has earmarked $5 million in cost-share funding from Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership funds, issued through Ontario’s Food Safety and Growth Initiative. Successful projects can receive up to 50 per cent of eligible costs, to a maximum of $75,000 per project.

Why it matters: Food and beverage processing is the largest manufacturing sector by employment, and 90 per cent of the more than 4,000 companies in Ontario are small businesses.

This initiative involves food industry businesses with up to 100 employees.

“This announcement supports the sector by improving food safety systems, equipment, standards and training,” said Chris Conway, CEO of Food and Beverage Ontario, in a release. “In turn, this will help food and beverage operators adapt to market and consumer needs as well as grow their businesses.”

“Our government is committed to working with smaller businesses in Ontario’s agriculture and food industry to help them ensure food safety so they can increase sales and expand,” said Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, in the release. The investment dovetails with the Grow Ontario Strategy to strengthen the province’s agri-food supply chain’s stability and competitiveness.

Additionally, it aims to build consumer confidence and small business growth through investments that enhance food safety risk detection, prevention and mitigation and through the adoption of new standards.

The initiative is designed to support the development or improvement of food safety or traceability programs and equipment and technology upgrades, qualified third-party assessments or the implementation of internationally or nationally recognized food safety programs.

“It is vitally important that our farmers and food processors have access to the latest tools and resources they need to continue to produce their top-quality goods,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment in technology and equipment upgrades will help folks prevent and quickly address food safety risks and keep their operations on the cutting edge.”

The application process opens Aug. 21, 2024, and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 1, 2025, or until budgeted funds are allocated. Details and information on the application process can be found on the OMAFA website.

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