WHO Draft Guidance Targets Additives; Food Industry Pushes Back

The World Health Organization’s draft food-profiling guidance urges governments to consider added colors, flavors and sweeteners—not just nutritional content—when identifying products to limit or potentially regulate through measures such as warning labels or taxes. The WHO says the broader approach could help address diet-related disease, which it links to about 11 million deaths a year. The proposal enters a contentious debate over ultra-processed foods: some scientists warn of health risks, while others and food-industry groups argue the category is too broad and the guidance could capture products based on formulation rather than nutritional quality. The draft is open for public consultation until November 27.