Bellingham, Wash., Jan. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Non-GMO Project today opened enrollment for its Non-UPF Verified program, marking a milestone in efforts to bring greater transparency to a food system dominated by ultraprocessed products, and giving consumers a new tool for making informed choices about how their food is made. The program was developed in collaboration with 16 pioneering brands that participated in the Non-UPF Verified pilot, helping to shape the standard through real-world application and feedback.
In tandem, the Project has also released a comprehensive executive brief revealing insights about ultraprocessed foods. Titled "Understanding Ultraprocessed Foods: A Framework for Action," the brief explains what ultraprocessed foods are, why processing matters, and how the new Non-UPF Verified program provides a clear, actionable framework for reducing harmful additives and processing. The brief shows that two products can be identical in their nutrient composition — same sugar, fat, and sodium — yet produce markedly different effects on appetite, weight gain, and metabolic health based on their level of processing.
"Most current approaches to addressing ultraprocessed foods rely entirely on what you can see on a package label: nutrient thresholds and banned ingredient lists," said Megan Westgate, CEO and Founder of the Non-GMO Project. "But research shows that processing itself is the missing variable. As certifiers, we have access to ingredient specifications, manufacturing methods, and formulation data that allow us to evaluate how foods are actually made, not just what's declared on the label."
Beyond 'Clean Label' Marketing
Non-UPF Verified arrives as shoppers increasingly distrust marketing claims. While 68% of consumers actively try to avoid ultraprocessed foods, 70% say they struggle to identify them, according to research from the Food Integrity Collective.
The confusion is understandable. Terms like "clean label," "natural," and "wholesome" carry no regulatory meaning and often obscure how food is actually manufactured. Meanwhile, nutrient-focused approaches miss what research now shows to be a key factor: the degree of processing itself.
A 2025 Lancet study found that the displacement of long-established dietary patterns by ultraprocessed foods is a key driver of the escalating global burden of multiple diet-related chronic diseases.
"Currently, shoppers are left to guess at how to avoid ultraprocessing based on ingredient lists, health claims and nutrition panels, and even that can be really confusing," Westgate explained. "Non-UPF Verified evaluates what you can't see: the manufacturing methods, ingredient specifications, and formulation techniques that determine whether something is truly food or a processed edible substance."
The Standard: Bringing Clarity to Processing
The Non-UPF Verified Standard defines the line between helpful processing (like grinding, fermenting, freezing) and ultraprocessing, which uses industrial techniques such as chemical fractionation, high-pressure extrusion, and synthetic additives to engineer palatability and shelf life.
Independent technical administrators assess products across core criteria, including:
- Ingredient Integrity & Formulation: The standard restricts ingredients that are either widely recognized as harmful or characteristic of ultraprocessed formulations, especially those used to create hyperpalatable textures and flavors or to replace the structure and function of real food. This includes a prohibition on non-nutritive sweeteners and limits on refined added sugar.
- Processing Limits: This standard distinguishes between minimal, conditional, and prohibited processing methods, requiring that products be composed primarily of minimally processed ingredients and free from high-impact chemical, structural, thermal, and biological modification. These limits are applied both to individual ingredients and to the product as a whole.
The Standard sets quantitative limits on refined added sugar while honoring the essential roles of healthy fats and naturally occurring mineral salts, a departure from approaches that treat all macronutrients uniformly, and aligning with key concepts in the recently updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
"Added sugar isn't an essential nutrient. Fat and sodium are," Westgate noted. "The Standard reflects that biological reality. We restrict heavily refined oils and synthetic sodium additives while recognizing that naturally occurring fats and mineral salts are integral to health."
Proven Model, New Application
The Non-GMO Project's track record speaks to Non-UPF Verified’s potential impact. Since 2007, the organization has built one of North America's most trusted food verifications, with its Butterfly mark appearing on more than 63,000 products representing $47 billion in annual sales.
Non-UPF Verified applies the same rigorous, third-party verification model to the ultraprocessed food crisis, giving brands a framework for meaningful reformulation, retailers a signal for differentiation, and shoppers a reliable tool in an increasingly confusing marketplace.
The program began as a pilot in March 2025, with participating brands helping refine the verification process before the Standard's November 2025 publication. With enrollment now open, companies can apply at www.nonultraprocessed.org.
Market Momentum
Consumer demand for third-party verification is surging. Seventy-two percent of shoppers now trust independent certifications more than company marketing, and 65% say a Non-UPF Verified label would increase their likelihood of purchasing a product, according to internal research.
"Shoppers aren't just reading nutrition panels anymore. They're reading between the lines, looking for evidence of authenticity backed by independent, third-party verifiers," Westgate said. "This certification gives them a reason to trust again."
The certification launches under the umbrella of the Food Integrity Collective, the Non-GMO Project's initiative for comprehensive food systems transformation. While Non-UPF Verified addresses minimal processing, the Collective encompasses eight interconnected impact areas including regenerative sourcing, nutrient density, and animal wellbeing.
"We accomplished what many thought impossible with the non-GMO supply chain," Westgate said. "Now we're applying that same collaborative model to something even more fundamental: the basic human need for real nourishment. Ultraprocessed products may be edible, but they’re not food in the way nature intended. With Non‑UPF Verified, we’re working together to restore access to food that nourishes life.”
For more information about Non-UPF Verified or to begin the enrollment process, visit www.nonultraprocessed.org. To download the complete executive brief, "Understanding Ultraprocessed Foods: A Framework for Action," visit https://www.nonultraprocessed.org/resources.
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About Non-UPF Verified and the Non-GMO Project
Non-UPF Verified is a certification launched by the Non-GMO Project under the umbrella of the Food Integrity Collective, continuing the nonprofit organization's commitment to informed choice and a food system that truly nourishes life.
Founded in 2007, the Non-GMO Project is a mission-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to collaboratively creating a retail food system that promotes and restores health in humans, communities, and the broader collective of life on Earth. The Project's Butterfly seal remains North America's most trusted third-party verification for GMO avoidance, backed by rigorous standards and appearing on more than 63,000 verified products. Learn more at www.nongmoproject.org.
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Alex Tursi Non-GMO Project 360-255-7704 alex@weareguru.com