Most Foods Considered “Healthy” Don’t Qualify Under the New FDA Definition

A new analysis presented at Nutrition 2025 by researchers at Johns Hopkins University challenges the FDA’s updated definition of what foods can carry a “healthy” label. According to the study, the majority of foods and beverages consumed by U.S. adults—including many widely recognized as nutritious—do not meet the agency’s new criteria.

Researchers evaluated more than 4,900 food and beverage items reported in the 2017–2018 NHANES database. Just 4.3% of these met the new FDA “healthy” standard. The numbers were even lower for ultra-processed foods, with only 2.1% qualifying. In contrast, categories such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts fared better—63.7% were considered healthy.

The team compared the FDA’s classification system with three well-known international nutrient profiling models: Food Compass 2.0, Nutri-Score, and the Health Star Rating. They found major discrepancies. Many items rated highly by these models failed to qualify under FDA guidelines.

Although no specific brands were named, the analysis included common categories such as:

• Fresh produce (like apples, spinach, carrots) typically met FDA criteria.

• Legumes (lentils, chickpeas) and unsalted nuts often scored well.

• By contrast, items like flavored yogurts, salad dressings, sugar-sweetened beverages, packaged snacks, or processed meats often failed to qualify, despite receiving favorable ratings in other systems.

The researchers warn that overly rigid criteria could lead to public confusion or drive unnecessary reformulation of products without real improvements in quality. Nutrient-dense foods could be excluded from eligibility for “healthy” labeling, despite being validated by other systems.

They suggest that further research is needed to determine which type of system—nutrient-based, ingredient-focused, or processing-level—is most effective for guiding consumers toward a healthier diet.

The study was conducted by Anna Claire Tucker, Laura Caulfield, Casey M. Rebholz, and Julia Wolfson at Johns Hopkins University.