Table of Contents
- Fast facts
- What the latest processed food statistics show
- Age and income patterns
- Trend lines over time
- How processed food fits into the broader food system
- Processed food trade and industry context
- Company-scale signals from major food producers
- What the numbers suggest for readers
Fast facts
Processed food statistics show a diet pattern that is both widespread and sticky. In the latest CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 figures, youth ages 1-18 consumed 61.9% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods on average, while adults age 19 and older consumed 53.0%.
A few of the sharpest splits stand out right away:
- Children ages 6-11 were at 64.8% of calories from ultra-processed foods (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Teens ages 12-18 were at 63.0% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Adults ages 60 and older were still at 51.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Adults with family income 130%-349% of the federal poverty level were at 55.3% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Adults with family income 350% or more of the federal poverty level were at 50.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
What the latest processed food statistics show
Processed food statistics are often discussed as a category story, but the latest figures make it a consumption story. The most important signal is not just that ultra-processed foods are common; it is that they account for more than half of calories in nearly every age and income group listed in the dataset.
That matters because a share above 50% is not a niche behavior. It is a majority pattern. The CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 figures show that ultra-processed foods are not limited to children, teens, or lower-income households. They are the default calorie source across the age spectrum.
At a glance
| Group | Ultra-processed-food calorie share | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Youth ages 1-18 | 61.9% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Children ages 1-5 | 56.1% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Children ages 6-11 | 64.8% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Teens ages 12-18 | 63.0% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Adults age 19+ | 53.0% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Adults ages 19-39 | 54.4% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Adults ages 40-59 | 52.6% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Adults ages 60+ | 51.7% | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
The table makes one thing obvious: the youngest groups show the highest dependence, but the oldest adult group is still barely over the halfway mark. That is a broad, system-level signal rather than a narrow behavioral outlier.
Key takeaway
The processed food share is high everywhere, but it peaks in middle childhood and remains high into adulthood. Children ages 6-11 had the highest share in the dataset at 64.8%, while adults 60 and older had the lowest among the age groups listed at 51.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
Age and income patterns
The age split is the cleanest way to read the dataset, but the income split adds a second layer of meaning. The differences are not huge in absolute terms, which tells you that ultra-processed foods are not confined to one economic segment.
Age groups
- Children ages 1-5: 56.1% of calories from ultra-processed foods (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Children ages 6-11: 64.8% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Teens ages 12-18: 63.0% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Adults ages 19-39: 54.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Adults ages 40-59: 52.6% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Adults ages 60 and older: 51.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
The biggest jump appears between the youngest and middle-childhood group. Children ages 1-5 were at 56.1%, but children ages 6-11 were at 64.8%, a gap of 8.7 percentage points. Teens stayed very close to that level at 63.0%.
That pattern suggests that the school-age years are a critical zone for calorie sourcing. It also shows that the transition from early childhood to later childhood is not a small step; it is a meaningful shift in diet composition.
Income groups
- Adults with family income under 130% of the federal poverty level: 54.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Adults with family income 130%-349% of the federal poverty level: 55.3% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- Adults with family income 350% or more of the federal poverty level: 50.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
The middle-income group had the highest adult share in this set at 55.3%, while the highest-income group had the lowest at 50.4%. The spread between those two groups is 4.9 percentage points.
That is not a massive gap, which is itself a useful finding. It means processed food consumption is not just a poverty signal. It is a mainstream nutrition pattern that shifts slightly with income rather than dramatically separating by income.
Why it matters
The income pattern suggests a broad consumer base for processed food products. It also implies that any strategy aimed at changing diet quality has to work across the income ladder, not only in lower-income segments.
Trend lines over time
A short time series gives the dataset its second major story: the shares fell, but only modestly.
Youth trend
Youth ultra-processed-food calorie share moved from 63.8% in 2013-2014 to 63.5% in 2015-2016, 65.6% in 2017-2018, and then 61.9% in August 2021-August 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
That sequence shows a peak in 2017-2018, followed by a lower later reading. The move from 65.6% to 61.9% is a drop of 3.7 percentage points.
Adult trend
Adults age 19 and older were at 54.3% in 2015-2016, 56.0% in 2017-2018, and 53.0% in August 2021-August 2023 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
The longer adult comparison is even clearer. Adults went from 55.8% in 2013-2014 to 53.0% in August 2021-August 2023, a decline of 2.8 percentage points.
Compact trend table
| Group | Earlier reading | Latest reading | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth ages 1-18 | 65.6% in 2017-2018 | 61.9% in Aug. 2021-Aug. 2023 | -3.7 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Youth ages 1-18 | 63.8% in 2013-2014 | 61.9% in Aug. 2021-Aug. 2023 | -1.9 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Adults age 19+ | 55.8% in 2013-2014 | 53.0% in Aug. 2021-Aug. 2023 | -2.8 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
| Adults age 19+ | 56.0% in 2017-2018 | 53.0% in Aug. 2021-Aug. 2023 | -3.0 pts | CDC NCHS Data Brief 536 |
The trend table is the cleanest way to read the change: ultra-processed-food calories edged down, but the share remains above half for both youth and adults.
Pull-quote style stat highlight
Even after the decline, youth still got 61.9% of daily calories from ultra-processed foods and adults still got 53.0% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536). That is the main trend signal: a dip, not a reversal.
How processed food fits into the broader food system
The dataset does not stop at household diets. It also shows how processed foods sit inside a much larger food system that includes restaurants, school food, and fast food.
USDA ERS Food Consumption, Nutrient Intakes, and Diet Quality reports that the U.S. food-energy share from fast food rose from 5.9% in 1977 to 16.3% in 2018. Over the same period, the U.S. food-energy share from restaurants rose from 3.3% to 7.8%.
Those are useful anchor points because they show a long-run channel for processed and prepared foods to enter the American diet. The bigger the restaurant and fast-food share, the more normalized highly processed calories become in everyday eating.
Food environment signals
- Fast food share: 5.9% to 16.3% from 1977 to 2018 (USDA ERS Food Consumption, Nutrient Intakes, and Diet Quality).
- Restaurant share: 3.3% to 7.8% from 1977 to 2018 (USDA ERS Food Consumption, Nutrient Intakes, and Diet Quality).
- Of 23 densities analyzed for 2017-2018, 16 deviated from recommended levels by more than 20% (USDA ERS Food Consumption, Nutrient Intakes, and Diet Quality).
- School foods became twice as dense in whole grains as food-at-home in the 2017-2018 analysis (USDA ERS Food Consumption, Nutrient Intakes, and Diet Quality).
- School foods were seven times denser in whole grains than fast food and restaurant foods in the 2017-2018 analysis (USDA ERS Food Consumption, Nutrient Intakes, and Diet Quality).
That last pair is especially revealing. It shows that not all food environments are equally aligned with nutrient density. School foods, in this dataset, come out looking substantially more whole-grain dense than the fast-food and restaurant channels.
What that comparison says
The broader food system is not one uniform processed-food pipeline. It contains pockets of better nutrient density and pockets that remain far more refined and convenience-driven. The data on school foods versus fast food and restaurants shows that institutional settings can materially change the composition of calories.
Processed food trade and industry context
The trade data gives the category a commercial dimension. U.S. processed-food exports are not a small or local story; they are spread across major trading partners.
Export values by destination
| Destination | Export value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | $13.12 billion | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| Mexico | $6.62 billion | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| European Union | $2.76 billion | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| Japan | $1.85 billion | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| South Korea | $1.60 billion | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| China | $1.56 billion | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| Australia | $815.71 million | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| Philippines | $752.94 million | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| United Kingdom | $686.54 million | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
| Taiwan | $606.79 million | USDA FAS Processed Food Products |
Canada is the standout destination in this list at $13.12 billion, with Mexico next at $6.62 billion (USDA FAS Processed Food Products). The size of those flows tells you that processed food is not only a domestic diet issue but also an export category with real international reach.
Fast comparison
- Canada received about twice the processed-food export value of Mexico in this dataset, based on $13.12 billion versus $6.62 billion (USDA FAS Processed Food Products).
- The EU, Japan, South Korea, and China all appear as major markets, each with multibillion or near-billion dollar values where listed (USDA FAS Processed Food Products).
- The category extends well beyond North America, reaching Asia-Pacific and Europe in meaningful volume (USDA FAS Processed Food Products).
Company-scale signals from major food producers
Company reporting gives the category a corporate footprint. The numbers from TreeHouse Foods, Mondelēz, Kraft Heinz, B&G Foods, and Hershey show how processed food links to revenue scale, product mix, and market concentration.
TreeHouse Foods
TreeHouse Foods reported $3.3540 billion in net sales in 2024, compared with $3.4316 billion in 2023 and $3.2971 billion in 2022 (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report).
Its 2024 mix was spread across several categories:
- Snacking revenue: $1.2702 billion (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report).
- Beverages and drink mixes revenue: $1.1090 billion (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report).
- Grocery revenue: $974.8 million (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report).
- Retail grocery sales: $2.6766 billion (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report).
- Co-manufacturing sales: $389.2 million (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report).
- Food-away-from-home and other sales: $288.2 million (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report).
TreeHouse also reported that sales to customers outside the United States were 4.9% of consolidated net sales in 2024, while sales to Canada were 4.0%. Walmart and affiliates accounted for 23.9% of consolidated net sales, and the ten largest customers made up 57.1% (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report).
Those concentration figures matter because they show how centralized distribution can be in a processed-food business. The category is not only about products; it is also about customer concentration and channel power.
Mondelēz International
Mondelēz reported $36.441 billion in net revenues in 2024 and $37.054 billion in Organic Net Revenue, which increased 4.3% in 2024 (Mondelēz 2024 Form 10-K).
Its segment data shows scale across both developed and emerging markets:
- Developed markets net revenues: $22.278 billion (Mondelēz 2024 Form 10-K).
- Emerging markets net revenues: $14.163 billion (Mondelēz 2024 Form 10-K).
The company also noted that operating units held by MIHN generated approximately 73.1%, or $26.6 billion, of consolidated net revenue in 2024, and represented approximately 81.9%, or $22.1 billion, of net assets at December 31, 2024 (Mondelēz 2024 Form 10-K).
Kraft Heinz
Kraft Heinz reported approximately $26 billion in 2024 net sales (Kraft Heinz 2024 Form 10-K). Its North America trademark set included names such as Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Heinz, Philadelphia, Lunchables, Velveeta, Ore-Ida, Capri Sun, Maxwell House, Kool-Aid, and Jell-O in 2024 (Kraft Heinz 2024 Form 10-K).
That trademark list is a reminder that processed foods often sit behind brands consumers know by name, not behind generic category labels.
B&G Foods and Hershey
B&G Foods reported $1.932454 billion in total segment net sales in 2024, with Specialty at $679.076 million, Meals at $462.397 million, Frozen & Vegetables at $395.785 million, and Spices & Flavor Solutions at $395.196 million (B&G Foods 2024 Form 10-K).
Hershey’s cocoa market price increased approximately 70% throughout 2024 (Hershey 2024 Form 10-K). That is not a processed-food consumption statistic, but it is a relevant input signal for the broader category because ingredient cost shocks can flow into packaged-food pricing and formulation decisions.
What the numbers suggest for readers
The most useful way to read processed food statistics is to treat them as a layered system:
- The consumption layer shows that ultra-processed foods make up a majority of calories for youth and adults alike (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- The trend layer shows modest declines, but not a meaningful break from the majority pattern (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
- The environment layer shows that fast food and restaurant eating have expanded as a share of energy intake over time (USDA ERS Food Consumption, Nutrient Intakes, and Diet Quality).
- The trade layer shows that processed food is a major export category with large bilateral flows (USDA FAS Processed Food Products).
- The corporate layer shows that the category is large enough to support multibillion-dollar revenue bases and highly concentrated customer relationships (TreeHouse Foods 2024 Annual Report; Mondelēz 2024 Form 10-K; Kraft Heinz 2024 Form 10-K; B&G Foods 2024 Form 10-K).
One useful interpretation is that processed food is not a side trend. It is embedded in eating patterns, institutions, global trade, and branded consumer markets at the same time.
Another is that the age data suggests early and middle childhood are especially important. If a group is already at 64.8% ultra-processed calories by ages 6-11, then the composition of school-age diets deserves close attention (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).
A final takeaway from the income figures is that processed food consumption is widespread rather than siloed. The range from 50.4% to 55.3% across adult income groups is real, but it is not large enough to make this a narrow demographic phenomenon (CDC NCHS Data Brief 536).