ORI Scientist Erica LaFata recently published a study in the American Journal of Public Health digging into who’s really criticizing the NOVA food classification system. Her team found that over 90% of articles challenging NOVA or defending ultra-processed foods had at least one author with a food industry tie — and many of those connections were never disclosed. The pattern echoes a familiar playbook: decades ago, the tobacco industry used similar tactics to fund friendly research and cast doubt on known risks. Learn more