Fed UP! at APHA

Fed UP! scientific contributors and other leading experts will come together for three sessions at the American Public Health Association’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Expo on November 3 in San Antonio.

Across the three conversations, researchers, public health experts, and advocates will explore the factors shaping ultra-processed food consumption and health, how commercial interests can influence research and policy, and what states and communities can do to turn the science into action.

Building Food Security in an Ultra-Processed Nation

November 3 | 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

This session will examine how diet quality, food insecurity, and the broader food environment shape ultra-processed food consumption and health. Speakers will present evidence linking UPF intake and overall diet quality with cardiometabolic health, examine disparities among pregnant women experiencing food insecurity, and highlight growing food deserts and food swamps across the United States.

The session will move beyond individual choice to explore policy solutions, including strengthening nutrition assistance, improving access to affordable minimally processed foods, supporting healthy food retailers and community food systems, regulating marketing, and investing in underserved communities.

Speakers: Nicholas Chartres, Jennifer Cadenhead, Cristina R. Fernandez, Elise Sheinberg, Marion Nestle, and Daniel Wiese.

View APHA session details

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Taking Action Locally: City and State Strategies to Address Ultra-Processed Foods

November 3 | 12:30–2:00 p.m.

What can state and local leaders do now to address ultra-processed foods? This session will explore practical approaches across policy, litigation and communications, including how to define UPFs, improve access to healthy food, strengthen regulation, and advance equitable implementation.

Speakers: Jessie Gabriel, Nora LaTorre, Jeff Niederdeppe, Lindsey Smith Taillie, and Kevin Anderson.

View APHA session details

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Financial Conflicts of Interest in Ultra-Processed Food Research and Policy: Identifying Risks and Safeguarding Integrity

November 3 | 2:30–4:00 p.m.

Commercial interests can influence how nutrition research is funded, conducted, communicated, and ultimately translated into policy. This session will examine those risks and explore solutions for protecting scientific integrity and preventing industry influence from shaping the evidence that informs what we eat.

Speakers: Nicholas Chartres, Sasha Chavkin, Gary Ruskin, Erica LaFata, and Laura Schmidt.

View APHA session details

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Watch from Anywhere

You don’t need to be in San Antonio to follow the conversation. All three sessions will be livestreamed on Fed UP!’s YouTube channel and recorded.

WATCH THE LIVESTREAM

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