Ultra-Processed Foods Definition Elusive

What, exactly, is an ultra-processed food? Proposals about, and FDA may be weighing in. But figuring out what a definition should and shouldn’t cover is a difficult task, said Chad Galer, vice president of product innovation and food safety for Dairy Management, Inc.

“I think it's a risk that it might be a bit oversimplified,” said Galer, who worked for 16 years at Kraft Foods before joining DMI. “It should be more of a matrixed approach where you are balancing the nutrition and the processing.”

Galer discusses some of the health benefits of dairy products that can be affected by differing ultra-processed definitions, including flavored yogurt and cheese.