MAHA
Ultra-processed food gets its first legal definition
A lot of Americans are concerned about how ultra-processed food affects their health — but there’s still debate about exactly what ultra-processed food is, which tends to muddy the conversation about a category that could include everything from canned beans to Skittles. A new California law aimed at making school lunches healthier is particularly noteworthy for providing a legal definition. (STAT covered the bill when it was first proposed in March.)
The bill, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, defines ultra-processed foods as those that contain both high levels of sodium, added sugar, or saturated fat as well as additives like stabilizers, emulsifiers, and artificial flavors. California’s health department will further narrow down the definition for “ultra-processed foods of concern” based on factors like peer-reviewed scientific evidence and other state, federal, and international restrictions, with schools phasing out products that fall in the latter category over the next 10 years.
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans this summer to provide a federal definition of ultra-processed foods, though there’s not yet a timeline for when that might be rolled out. — Sarah Todd
FACT CHECK
No, circumcision doesn’t cause autism
Kennedy made a wild claim during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting: “Children who were circumcised early have double the rates of autism.” He then said it’s “highly likely” that these findings are linked to Tylenol use, before adding “none of this is positive.”
It is unclear where the secretary’s information is coming from. There are two studies that look at autism and circumcision, and neither of the investigations establish a robust association between the two, much less a causal relationship that would “double the rates of autism.”
Kennedy also talked during the meeting about being shown a TikTok video where a pregnant woman was “gobbling Tylenol” and saying “F Trump,” asserting that every study investigating a link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism showed “profound neurological and behavioral changes.” The science doesn’t back the secretary’s words up, as STAT’s Matt Herper has written.
The Trump administration churns out a lot of baseless claims about health, especially autism. It would be impossible to fact check it all here, but it appears that Kennedy’s reshuffling of American healthcare policy is losing support from the public. To reiterate what Theresa wrote yesterday, 62% of Americans disapprove of how the secretary is handling vaccine policy, according to a recent KFF poll.
