Ultra-processed food is making us sick, especially our children. Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler says it’s a bigger public health problem than tobacco (see his 60 Minutes interview below). Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf testified before the U.S. Senate in December 2024 that “FDA agrees that the clear association between UPF and poor health outcomes is cause for major concern” and that he believes they are addictive at the same hearing. Current FDA Commissioner Mart Makary has identified UPF as a central, unanswered question in nutrition science and says FDA must directly confront their impact on Americans’ health, not just individual nutrients or ingredients.

How should FDA effectively regulate UPF? David Kessler has provided FDA a brilliant, detailed roadmap. On August 12, 2025 he submitted a citizen’s petition to Limit the Exposure of Refined Carbohydrates used in Industrial Processing in order to Prevent Obesity, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease in Children and Adults. His petition solves two major FDA problems: how to ensure UPFs are safe and how to reform the ineffective FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) food ingredient rules that are at the heart of the UPF crisis. He has told FDA to start with highly processed, refined carbohydrate products. The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends cutting back sharply on highly processed, refined carbohydrates.

Nourish Science strongly supports FDA approving Dr. Kessler’s petition and forcing food companies to present the evidence that their GRAS ingredients used to manufacture highly refined carbohydrate products such as sweetened child breakfast cereals are safe in the doses consumed, not just in moderation as required by the 1958 Food Additive Amendments. We urge the public to join us by supporting Dr, Kessler’s petition, commenting on it, and educating their elected state and federal officials about it.