(NAFB.com) – The National Chicken Council recently submitted detailed comments on developing a uniform definition of “ultra-processed foods.” The comments were in response to a request for information from the Food and Drug Administration and the USDA. NCC expressed significant concerns about a classification system and contends that FDA and USDA should bolster existing frameworks and consumer education as science evolves, instead of pursuing a classification system at all. However, should the agencies choose to move forward with a classification system, NCC urges the use of a uniform, science-based approach to characterizing foods – one that prioritizes nutritional composition and ingredient function over the number of processing steps or ingredients. “We urge the agencies to adopt a nutrition-led framework that promotes the consumption of safe, affordable, and culturally important proteins like chicken,” said Dr. Ashley Peterson, NCC senior vice president of scientific affairs. “Should they choose to pursue a classification system, we’ll work together.”
