Many in the food & beverage industry have been on pins and needles since Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised a follow-up Make America Healthy Again report for this month. After all, that promise came in the May initial MAHA report, which demonized ultraprocessed foods and chemical additives, among other culprits.
In the past few days, several national media procured a draft of the report and, as Politico headlined it: “It’s quite industry friendly.”
Associated Press, which also got its hands on a draft, says the report “does not call on the government to make significant changes to its food or farming policies.” The New York Times noted, “The report is not final, but indicates good news for the food and agriculture industries.”
Instead, Associated Press continues, the report “lays out four problem areas – poor diet, chemical exposure, lack of physical activity and overuse of medications – that are to blame for chronic diseases in the U.S.”
When RFK Jr. campaigned for president, and more or less for the HHS job, he called the food industry one of the main causes of declining health in America, particularly of children. Farmers shared some blame, too, for using pesticides and herbicides.
The May report named ultraprocessed foods as the first apparent cause: “The American diet has shifted dramatically toward ultraprocessed foods, leading to nutrient depletion, increased caloric intake, and exposure to harmful additives. Nearly 70% of children's calories now come from UPFs, contributing to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.”
By extension, chemical additives to foods got a good bashing, too.
This follow-up report apparently was submitted to President Trump last Tuesday (Aug. 12), but the White House has held off on publicly releasing it. No word on when the final version will be released to the public.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.