One of the most notable political demarcations across the Atlantic has always been health policy, particularly as it relates to food. While the U.S taunts a model reliant on innovation and personal responsibility, Europe advocates a precautionary approach that is keen to regulate. And yet, EU health commissioner Olivér Várhelyi and U.S Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seems to have found a point of convergence, which according to the Hungarian commissioner “matters deeply to citizens: food and nutrition”. 

In line with the aims of the Safe Hearts Plan, the Commission recently announced it will study the effects of so-called “ultra-processed foods (UPF)” and incentivise producers to reformulate their products. That in itself is inherently contradictory if the Commission wishes to act in an evidence-based fashion. You cannot commission a study to establish a link to adverse health effects, and yet also announce your policy intentions. It’s akin to a judge saying “we are convening this trial to find out whether the defendant committed the crime and then sentence him for the said crime”. In science, it is vital that you never lead with your conclusion.

Continue reading in The Parliament.