HER is convening an expert panel—chaired by Dr. Jim Krieger and Dr. Lindsey Smith Taillie—to develop evidence-informed recommendations for policymakers and advocates to support policies regulating UPF that positively impact nutrition and health, are feasible to implement in a variety of settings, are equitable, and are easy for consumers to understand. The panel is composed of individuals with expertise in nutrition, food science, epidemiology, nutrition policy, food law, policymaking, and policy advocacy.

The expert panel will consider current research, nutrition guidelines, existing or proposed UPF policies, and input from experts in the field to understand research needs and policy opportunities. The panel will use the Nova classification system as a starting point to consider a set of UPF definition alternatives that may use nutrient profiling, a smaller set of UPF ingredient markers, and/or include product exemptions.

The panel will conduct a thorough policy scan and analysis of current UPF policies. New modeling analyses will assess the proportion of all packaged foods and beverages covered by each definition alternative as well as the proportion of total UPF products captured. Panel recommendations will be based on the best available evidence and remain adaptable to incorporate future research and policy developments related to UPF.