While U.S. adults report a high level of awareness of the term "ultraprocessed foods," most do not fully understand what the term refers to, according to recent public opinion research commissioned by the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere. The findings reinforce the need for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to release the long-awaited and urgently needed federal definition of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs).
A national survey of just over 2,000 U.S. adults conducted this summer by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Heart Association found that the majority (90%) of U.S. adults have heard of ultraprocessed foods, but only just over a third (35%) say they are very or extremely familiar with the term. Yet over seven in ten (72%) say they are confident that they can identify whether a food is ultraprocessed or not, and two-thirds (66%) believe they could explain the term to someone else. The findings reveal a gap between consumer awareness of the term and deeper familiarity and understanding at a time of unprecedented attention to the impact of ultraprocessed foods on public health.
To address this gap, the Heart Association is urging OMB to release the proposed federal definition of UPFs without further delay. A clear federal definition would inform research and establish a more consistent and common framework for discussions about nutrition and health.
In July 2025, the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture requested public input to help inform a proposed federal definition of UPFs. More than a year later, the draft definition was submitted to OMB for review, where it has remained for two months. During that time, industry interests that make large profits from ultraprocessed foods high in added sugars, sodium and/or saturated fat have mounted an aggressive campaign against the proposal, according to . The Heart Association is one of only a handful of public health groups granted an OMB meeting to date.
"Big Soda and other industry interests are trying to prevent a federal definition of UPFs – a blatant display of their true motives to protect profits at the expense of public health," said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association. "A federal definition would represent an important step toward strengthening the science that informs future nutrition policies and consumer choices. It is time to take that step."
The Heart Association poll by the numbers:
- While the majority of U.S. adults (90%) have heard the term "ultraprocessed foods," only just over a third (35%) say they are very or extremely familiar with the term.
- Seven in ten (71%) say they try to avoid ultraprocessed foods.
- Three-quarters (76%) believe foods labeled as "ultraprocessed" are unhealthy.
- Three in five (62%) believe foods labeled "not ultraprocessed" are healthy.
A 2025 science advisory from the Heart Association found growing evidence linking diets high in many ultraprocessed foods with poorer diet quality and increased risk of heart disease, stroke and other cardiometabolic conditions. The advisory also notes that these dietary patterns are often associated with higher intake of sodium, added sugars and saturated fat, nutrients known to contribute to cardiovascular risk when consumed in excess.
"Defining ultraprocessed foods would represent an important step to encourage healthy eating, but additional policy actions are also needed," said Jessup. "Consumers need clear information not only about how foods are processed, but also the nutrients they contain and their overall nutritional quality. That's why the American Heart Association also continues to advocate for mandatory front-of-package nutrition labeling, increased investment in nutrition research and other policies that make healthy choices easier and more accessible."
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Heart Association from June 16 -18, 2026 among 2,007 adults ages 18 and older.
Data are weighted where necessary by age by gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income and political party affiliation to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys.
The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ± 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options and post-survey weighting and adjustments.
