Non-GMO Project debuts label highlighting foods without ultra-processed ingredients

Dive Brief:

• The Non-GMO Project announced the introduction of Non-UPF Verified, a label for foods without ultra-processed ingredients.
• In the press release, the nonprofit organization pointed to internal research that found 85% of consumers want to avoid ultra-processed foods. The Non-GMO Project said avoiding these foods can be overwhelming or challenging for people looking to make healthier choices.
• The National Institute of Health defined ultra-processed in 2019 as foods that modify the nutritional content of their ingredients to boost their profitability, convenience and shelf life.

Dive Insight:

Awareness of food manufacturing processes has been scrutinized during the past five years as consumers increasingly look to make healthier food and beverage purchases. More than half of all calories consumed in the U.S. are derived from ultra-processed foods, according to NIH’s 2019 study, making them a prime target for health-conscious consumers.

Food and beverage producers in the better-for-you realm are seeking to capitalize on the growing shopper interest in products with natural ingredients. The Non-UPF Verified label could help consumers identify products they deem more naturally derived.

The Non-GMO Project found success during the past two decades among health-focused consumers concerned about industrial agriculture, particularly genetic modification of food ingredients. The organization characterizes genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as altering the fundamental makeup of foods. It associates modification of foods as harmful to farmers and the environment.

The Non-GMO Project said there is a connection between the food industry’s adoption of GMOs and ultra-processed ingredients. SPINS data published in 2022 found frozen and refrigerated meat, poultry and seafood products with the non-GMO label grew 53% over a two year period, outpacing foods without the label.

“When we began addressing GMOs in 2007, we recognized that genetic engineering was just one way industrial food production was distancing us from natural ingredients,” Megan Westgate, founder and CEO of the Non-GMO Project, said in a statement. “Today's ultraprocessed foods represent an even deeper departure — taking familiar ingredients and transforming them so fundamentally that our bodies no longer recognize them as food.”

Some food processors have disputed claims about ultra-processed foods, dismissing the classification as a fad that is not fully rooted in accurate health advice.

Sean McBride, the founder of DSM Strategic Communications, argued in an opinion column last year that a “simple change in nomenclature can capture the attention of a mass audience.”

McBride, who once worked at the Consumer Brands Association, said food industry organizations should emphasize how they have already made the food system healthier. Sugar, fats, oils and sodium in moderation, McBride said, can accompany healthier foods like proteins and whole grains in a person’s diet.