Whenever ultra-processed food is compared to tobacco, the reaction is predictable. That’s an exaggeration, food isn’t cigarettes. Emotionally, that feels true. Structurally, it misses the point. The comparison isn’t about morality or outcomes. It’s about how systems behave once certain conditions are met. Tobacco didn’t become a public crisis because smoking was unhealthy. That was […]
Wellness is Connected, Food is Not Everyone tracks something these days – steps, sleep, heart rate, glucose, macros – but food is still mostly captured as rough categories or generic calorie totals. Meanwhile, the foods themselves are getting more complex, with new additives, novel processing methods, and functional claims that are hard to verify from […]
For a long time, retailers occupied a comfortable position in the food system: We just sell what people buy. That claim made sense when visibility was limited. When all products looked roughly the same on paper, and when the effects of processing couldn’t be meaningfully compared, neutrality was a reasonable stance. That era has ended. […]
Zero federal definition exists for ultra-processed foods despite UPFs comprising 50-70% of the U.S. diet—leaving 35% of Americans unclear on what UPF even means. For the first time, federal agencies are developing a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods that could reshape school lunch policies, SNAP benefits, WIC programs, and national dietary guidelines. The move comes […]
10,000+ substances added to food, many never independently tested for chronic exposure. This is a sharp increase from the 1980s when approximately 3,000 regulated substances were contained in approved foods. The gap between what’s legal and what’s proven safe continues to widen. While regulatory bodies move at bureaucratic pace, manufacturers reformulate at market speed—leaving transparency […]
For years, the conversation around ultra-processed food stayed in a familiar place: Personal responsibility. If people got sick, it was framed as a matter of choice – what they ate, how much they exercised, how disciplined they were. That framing worked as long as food was treated as a collection of individual products making isolated […]
I’ve made Kraft Mac & Cheese for my kids. And… since we are being honest with one another, I’ve made it for myself when my wife and kids have left me home alone. Why? Because it’s delicious. It’s one of those foods that sneaks into your life through nostalgia and convenience. You grew up on […]
San Francisco UPF Lawsuit #9: “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) In the historic San Francisco lawsuit against Big Food, the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) designation is the ultimate battlefield. To the food giants, GRAS is a legal “shield.” To the City of San Francisco, it is a dangerous “loophole” that has allowed a chemical […]
San Francisco UPF Lawsuit #8: The Bliss Point The “Bliss Point” is not just a culinary term; it is a precise mathematical and psychophysical formula. It represents the moment the food industry shifted from being a provider of nourishment to an industry of engineered “craveability.” This is the point where food chemists discovered how to […]
The GRAS framework was built to evaluate isolated, time‑tested substances, not industrial systems made from dozens of interacting components. Source In the News Young Adults Face Prediabetes Risk from UPF Consumption A USC Study from the Keck School of Medicine links ultra-processed food intake to blood sugar dysregulation in youth. Researchers tracked 85 young adults […]
Whole foods let people eat more, feel fuller, and consume fewer calories – passive calorie control is real. Source In the News San Francisco’s Public-Nuisance Case Hits National TV A PBS NewsHour segment explains why San Francisco is suing 11 major UPF manufacturers, highlighting addiction-style design, chronic disease costs, and parallels to Big Tobacco. Once […]
When concerns about ultra-processed foods started surfacing more publicly, the food industry’s response was consistent: “We already provide labels.” On the surface, that sounds reasonable. From a systems perspective, it isn’t. Nutrition labels were designed to disclose components, not to explain behavior. They tell you how much sugar, fat, sodium, or protein is present. They […]
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