Non-UPF Verified food label doesn’t really tell you much

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, replicate it!

The Non-GMO Project is embracing this phrase to once again mislead consumers, promote false food narratives, and earn some money. It announced the launch of its newest label: Non-UPF Verified. This “helpful” label will let you know that a food product is free from ultra processed foods. Ostensibly, the marketing initiative claims this will aid shoppers to make healthier choices.

You’re probably already aware of Non-UPF’s older sibling: the Non-GMO Verified label. That’s the one with the annoying little orange Monarch butterfly that appears on a variety of food products, whether there is a GMO option or not. The Non-GMO Project previously told us this label could help consumers make smart choices in the grocery store.

And to support the importance of its label, The Non-GMO Project sold a constant narrative of lies about genetically modified crops. Meanwhile the nonprofit’s revenue continued to grow as more and more companies paid for the right to slap that butterfly on their packaging and seemingly passed that added cost onto shoppers. The Non-GMO Project and the companies in bed with it (like the Jeff Bezos-owned Whole Foods Market) ignored the extensive scientific body of evidence demonstrating the safety of biotechnology. Nor did it matter that this important technology has allowed farmers to grow crops more efficiently, with fewer pesticides and a smaller environmental footprint. That was never the point.

Now, with the introduction of the Non-UPF Verified label, it’s clear that the same disinformation marketing strategy is back in action. To be clear: Just as with the non-GMO label, this new label doesn’t exist to educate consumers; it exists to mislead them into thinking that “ultra-processed” automatically means unhealthy — even when that isn’t necessarily true.

So what does “ultra-processed” mean? The term comes from the NOVA Food Classification system, which lumps foods into categories based on how much industrial processing they’ve undergone. But the problem is that NOVA isn’t based on solid nutritional science. Instead it makes broad generalizations about processing rather than focusing on a food’s actual nutritional value.

Take this example. A homemade cake loaded with sugar, butter, and refined flour might be considered “minimally processed,” while a high-fiber breakfast cereal fortified with essential vitamins would be labeled “ultra-processed.” The point is that ultra processed isn’t all good or all bad — it can go both ways. Like with so many other food issues, nuance is key.

Food processing exists for a reason. Pasteurization prevents foodborne illnesses. Canning and freezing preserve nutrients and extend shelf life. Fortification helps prevent nutrient deficiencies. Processing is not the enemy — it’s a tool that can make our food safer, more nutritious, and more accessible.

And just like with GMOs, the Non-GMO Project is ignoring the subtlety to exploit a market opportunity. It wants to sell a meaningless label that will ultimately further confuse consumers and do nothing about making our diets healthier.

There’s no doubt Americans can improve their overall food consumption and shrink our waistlines. We eat too many high-calorie, low-nutrition things, a symptom of an abundant and affordable food supply. We would all benefit from eating more whole foods. And more than anything, we want an easy fix — eat this, not that. The Non-GMO Project understands this and has found a way to capitalize on it.

I have no doubt we’ll start seeing Non-UPF Verified on our favorite food products. So it’s important to remember this label isn’t meant to help you make better choices. It’s there to manipulate you into thinking something is healthier and better for you, even if it isn’t.

Maybe this time we, as consumers, can break The Non-GMO Project’s model and not allow it to replicate the labeling scam.

Amanda Zaluckyj blogs under the name The Farmer’s Daughter USA. Her goal is to promote farmers and tackle the misinformation swirling around the U.S. food industry.