In August 2025, the CDC released NCHS Data Brief No. 536 analyzing U.S. dietary patterns from August 2021 to August 2023. The results confirm what earlier international studies had suggested: ultra-processed foods (UPFs) make up the majority of calories consumed in America.

Key points from the CDC’s NHANES data:
• Adults (≥19 years): 53% of total calories from UPFs
• Children (≤18 years): 61.9% of calories from UPFs — the highest exposure of any age group
• Young adults (19–39): 54.4% of calories from UPFs
• Slight declines since 2013–2014, but still over 50% for all groups

UPFs are industrial formulations made largely from extracted or synthesized ingredients (oils, starches, sugars, protein isolates, emulsifiers, preservatives) and designed to be hyper-palatable and shelf-stable. Examples include sweetened breakfast cereals, sodas, frozen pizzas, ready meals, hot dogs, packaged chips, crackers, and pastries.

This combined chart shows two views from the CDC brief:

  1. Percent of calories from UPFs by age group.
  2. The top caloric contributors to UPF intake for youth and adults.

Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics. NCHS Data Brief No. 536 (Aug 2025).
Full CDC brief: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db536.htm

Posted by DrAndresDigenio

7 comments

  1. Isn’t this the classification where, e.g. something packaged in plastic and containing any added salt is considered an “ultra processed food?” (Because packaging it makes it a processed food and then the added salt suddenly makes it UTLRA processed because it combined two things from the other classifications.)

  2. ….what do you classify as sandwiches or does the CDC fall on the hotdog being a sandwich side of the debate?

  4. It’s mostly the bread in sandwiches, pizza and bakery products

  6. How is Pizza ultra processed, exactly? Bread and cheese have been eaten for centuries

  7. UK and Asian countries dont have the crap the US have in their food and are way way better health. Crazy RFK Jr might be on to something about the preservatives and crap in our food. Traveled to Japan and food tasted fresh and made me feel great. KFC and Taco bell taste like they did in the 1980s. I loved even eating at 7-11. This is how American needs to be like.

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