Meg Tirrell, Sarah Owermohle, CNN
Fri, August 15, 2025
The Trump administration’s strategy to “Make America Healthy Again” will bypass aggressive action on farm-used pesticides or regulatory crackdowns on ultraprocessed foods, according to a draft document obtained by CNN.
The MAHA Commission, led by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is set to release in the coming weeks its finalized recommendations for addressing chronic diseases among American children. It is the second installment from the MAHA Commission, which in May issued a report laying out the main culprits it saw driving the chronic illnesses.
“President Trump pledged to Make America Healthy Again, and the Administration is committed to delivering on that pledge with Gold Standard Science. Until officially released by the White House and MAHA Commission, however, any documents purporting to be the second MAHA Report should be disregarded as speculative literature,” White House Spokesman Kush Desai said.
A former federal official familiar with the document noted those briefed by the White House on the report have said the policies in the draft document appear to line up with what they were told.
Kennedy has publicly railed against ultraprocessed foods, overprescription of medicine and Americans’ exposure to commonly used pesticides in commercial farming. Yet the draft MAHA document, dated August 6, stops short of recommending some of the MAHA movement’s key priorities — like targeting specific pesticides such as glyphosate — rankling many of Kennedy’s longtime supporters.
The draft report says the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency will prioritize research and precision technology that helps farmers reduce pesticide use. It also says the EPA “will work to ensure that the public has awareness and confidence in EPA’s robust pesticide review procedures.”
Hundreds of MAHA advocates signed onto a letter late last week that pressed President Donald Trump to rebuke a congressional proposal that would shield pesticide and “forever” chemical manufacturers from lawsuits linked to their products. The signees — which include former Kennedy campaign supporters, MAHA influencers and the nonprofit he chaired, Children’s Health Defense — argue that there is significant evidence that these chemicals are linked to cancers, liver disease and other complications.
That letter has since swelled to 350 signees, according to its organizers, who believe their efforts can pressure the administration to change the report before its public release.
“No one’s trying to take away farmers’ rights to grow food in a responsible manner. All we’re asking is that companies whose products cause harm should be held liable in a court of law,” said David Murphy, former Kennedy finance director and the founder of United We Eat, a coalition of farmers and healthy food advocates.
“That seemed like a reasonable request to us,” Murphy said in an interview prior to the draft MAHA documents’ circulation.
Commercial farming groups have argued against further pesticide regulations, and blasted the first MAHA report’s suggestion of links between chemicals such as glyphosate and atrazine and chronic health problems.
Those farm groups’ blowback prompted public assurances from Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that the administration prioritizes farmers and Americans’ confidence in the food supply.
Defining processed foods
The administration will launch awareness campaigns around the benefits of whole foods, but is not unveiling any regulatory crackdown on ultraprocessed snacks that were key targets of the initial MAHA report.
The draft document nods to new dietary guidelines, expected later this year, and an “education campaign” alongside their release.
The draft also cites a recent effort from the health and agricultural departments to define ultraprocessed foods, a first step in regulating their ingredients and marketing.
While the draft also suggests that the FDA will take an aggressive approach to authorizing new additives in Ultraprocessed foods, it stops short of recommending any crackdown on current products.
Earlier this month, former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler proposed a much bolder approach to declare that widely used ingredients in processed foods, like refined sugars and flours, are no longer considered safe.
“The first report, despite the hallucinated references, was a strong indictment of this country’s neglect of the health of our children,” Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, wrote in an email. “It promised that the second report would state policies to address those problems. No such luck.”
Nestle added that the report contradicts broader Trump administration policy by recommending improvements to hospital food, nutrition assistance programs and childcare programs, many of which have seen funding cuts.
Others, such as Dr. Jim Krieger of Healthy Food America, hoped the report would recommend new labeling requirements for foods with high added sugar, saturated fats, sodium and other sweeteners.
“Despite all the attention to ultraprocessed foods in the first MAHA Commission report, the sole mention now of ultraprocessed foods is that the government will come up with a definition,” Krieger said. “What about removing them from schools? Restricting marketing? A ultraprocessed label on the front of food packages?”
New research priorities
The MAHA Commission will also launch an education campaign “to improve health and fertility in women and men seeking to start a family” and start a research initiative aimed at the root causes of infertility. The draft states that research effort will also focus on improvements to maternal and infant health outcomes.
HHS will convene a working group to “evaluate prescription patterns” for antidepressants, antipsychotics, stimulant sand other behavioral drugs. The first MAHA report argued that prescriptions of these medicines have soared in children. The group will draw in a range of health agencies including the US Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration for Children and Families and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The administration will launch awareness campaigns around the benefits of whole foods, but is not unveiling any regulatory crackdown on ultraprocessed snacks that were key targets of the initial MAHA report.
The draft document nods to new dietary guidelines, expected later this year, and an “education campaign” alongside their release.
The draft also cites a recent effort from the health and agricultural departments to define ultraprocessed foods, a first step in regulating their ingredients and marketing.
While the draft also suggests that the FDA will take an aggressive approach to authorizing new additives in Ultraprocessed foods, it stops short of recommending any crackdown on current products.
Earlier this month, former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler proposed a much bolder approach to declare that widely used ingredients in processed foods, like refined sugars and flours, are no longer considered safe.
“The first report, despite the hallucinated references, was a strong indictment of this country’s neglect of the health of our children,” Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, wrote in an email. “It promised that the second report would state policies to address those problems. No such luck.”
Nestle added that the report contradicts broader Trump administration policy by recommending improvements to hospital food, nutrition assistance programs and childcare programs, many of which have seen funding cuts.
Others, such as Dr. Jim Krieger of Healthy Food America, hoped the report would recommend new labeling requirements for foods with high added sugar, saturated fats, sodium and other sweeteners.
“Despite all the attention to ultraprocessed foods in the first MAHA Commission report, the sole mention now of ultraprocessed foods is that the government will come up with a definition,” Krieger said. “What about removing them from schools? Restricting marketing? A ultraprocessed label on the front of food packages?”
New research priorities
The MAHA Commission will also launch an education campaign “to improve health and fertility in women and men seeking to start a family” and start a research initiative aimed at the root causes of infertility. The draft states that research effort will also focus on improvements to maternal and infant health outcomes.
HHS will convene a working group to “evaluate prescription patterns” for antidepressants, antipsychotics, stimulant sand other behavioral drugs. The first MAHA report argued that prescriptions of these medicines have soared in children. The group will draw in a range of health agencies including the US Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration for Children and Families and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The draft also nods to Kennedy’s longtime goal to overhaul the childhood vaccine schedule, noting that HHS will work with the White House Domestic Policy Council on a framework for recommended vaccines and a strategy for addressing vaccine injuries. Kennedy had announced several of these priorities before, including a plan to overhaul the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Childhood cancer is briefly mentioned in the draft document; it states that NIH and the White House Office of Science and Technology will develop an AI-driven tool to “transform research and clinical trials on pediatric cancer.”
CNN’s Sandee LaMotte contributed to this report.
Opinion
RFK Jr. Is Breaking His Two Big Promises to MAHA Diehards
Robert McCoy
Fri, August 15, 2025
The true believers of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement are fuming over a New York Times report Friday, which reveals that a leaked draft of the White House MAHA Commission’s second report does not endorse directly restricting pesticides and ultraprocessed foods.
When the first report was published in May, Forbes’s Chloe Sorvino notes, many adherents of the MAHA movement championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. believed it “didn’t go far enough” in its 25 mentions of pesticides as potentially harmful to human health. At the same time, the report struck fear in the hearts of many in the agriculture industry.
Last month, ahead of the upcoming second report, the White House reportedly promised farm lobbyists that the administration would side with them over MAHA by refusing to restrict pesticide use. The Times report suggests that the White House delivered on that promise.
The news will be sure to upset the 500 people who signed onto a July letter, by the anti–Big Ag group United We Eat, urging Kennedy to ban pesticides. Some in MAHA land are already up in arms.
“Behold the power of Big Ag & Chemical Co’s,” Fox News’s Laura Ingraham wrote on X.
“Republicans in the pay of Big Food [and] Pharma are thwarting MAHA,” tweeted Jeffrey A. Tucker, a libertarian writer and president of the Brownstone Institute. “Keep it up and they will lose the midterms.”
Nutritionist Marion Nestle wrote this week that the second MAHA report will expose a faultline in Trump’s 2024 movement: “MAHA versus the realities of MAGA.” If the final report resembles the leaked draft, then it would seem that MAHA’s losing this fight.
Bad diets, too many meds, no exercise: A look inside the latest 'Make America Healthy Again' report
AMANDA SEITZ
Fri, August 15, 2025
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., conducts a news conference, on April 16. - Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images
WASHINGTON (AP) — A report that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised will improve the health of America’s children does not call on the government to make significant changes to its food or farming policies, according to a draft document obtained by The Associated Press.
The “Make America Healthy Again” strategy report is supposed to be one of Kennedy’s signature achievements as the nation’s health secretary, giving the government a roadmap to help its citizens lose weight, reduce chronic diseases and exercise more. Before coming to Washington, Kennedy had spent much of his career decrying the harms of chemicals sprayed on crops, prescription drugs, ultraprocessed foods, and vaccines.
His coalition, then, has expected him to take bold action as the nation’s top health leader. But a draft of the so-called “MAHA” report, first reported by The New York Times Thursday night, mostly calls on the government to further study chronic diseases, bad air quality, Americans’ diets and prescription drug use.
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.
The White House has held off on publicly releasing the report, which was submitted to President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The latest report is the policy companion to a “MAHA” report released in May, which was found to have several errors in it.
White House spokesman Kush Desai refused to confirm whether the copy obtained by the Associated Press was a final version, though HHS officials have insisted the report has been finalized since Tuesday.
“Donald Trump pledged to Make America Healthy Again, and the Administration is committed to delivering on that pledge with Gold Standard Science,” Desai said. “Until officially released by the White House and MAHA Commission, however, any documents purporting to be the second MAHA Report should be considered as nothing more than speculative literature.”
Some in the agricultural industry had warily anticipated the report, fearing it would call for bans or investigations into the use of pesticides and herbicides that farmers in the U.S. regularly spray on crops to control weeds and enhance yields. Other farmers were concerned about how the report may target the use of corn syrup, a common sweetener, in American foods. Both products have been a central talking point in Kennedy’s “MAHA” movement, which has attracted a diverse coalition of suburban and rural moms, Trump supporters and liberals concerned about the nation’s food supply.
Instead, the report calls for an “awareness” campaign to raise confidence in pesticides.
Concerns from the agricultural industry waned as the report hit the president’s desk, with one of Kennedy’s closest advisers, Calley Means, calling for MAHA supporters to work with major farm companies on Tuesday.
Means also acknowledged that the “pace of political change” can be frustrating.
“We need to build bridges,” Means said, adding that: “We are not going to win if the soybean farmers and the corn growers are our enemy.”
Means did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. A spokesman for Kennedy also declined to comment.
The report urges the National Institutes of Health – which is facing a 40% cut to its budget under the Trump administration – to undertake several studies on Americans’ health, including research on vaccine injury, autism, air quality, water quality, prescription drugs, and nutrition.
The report also calls for changes to the foods served in schools and hospitals, something that will be hard to deliver with the Trump administration’s funding cuts, said Kari Hamerschlag, the deputy director of the food and agriculture at the nonprofit Friends of the Earth. Earlier this year, the Republican-led administration wiped out $1 billion set aside that helped food banks and schools procure food directly from local farmers.
“This is not going to transform our food and farming system,” Hamerschlag said. “This is not going to make people healthier. They need to put resources behind their recommendation
Draft of Trump’s Health Blueprint Avoids Industry Crackdown
Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Kristina Peterson and Skylar Woodhouse
Fri, August 15, 2025
BLOOMBERG
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US secretary of Health and Human Services, left, and President Donald Trump during a news conference at the White House on May 12.
(Bloomberg) -- A draft of the Trump administration’s highly anticipated blueprint on health policy takes a softer approach to regulating companies than many had feared, a relief for industry and setback for environmental activists.
The draft report, which has been reviewed by Bloomberg News, has parts that go beyond previous announcements. They are mostly about boosting research in areas such as the risks of microplastics and how antidepressants are prescribed for children. It also refers to plans to boost fertility rates and getting whole milk into public schools.
The draft was dated Aug. 11, but could still see changes before it’s finalized, according to people familiar with the discussions who weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter. In particular, the report’s tone around pesticides is far less critical than Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies have been in the past. That raised concerns earlier this week from some of his supporters in the so-called Make America Healthy Again movement, according to the people.
The policy agenda is the second installment in a two-part process to carry out an executive order that President Donald Trump signed in February. The first report detailed research about what the administration viewed as the root cause of chronic disease among children, and the second was intended to lay out policies to address those root causes. The strategy was due to be submitted to the president on Aug. 12, but hasn’t been publicly released.
The White House declined to confirm the draft’s authenticity, but industry officials said it was largely in line with what they had been briefed on by the administration. Still, the report appeared in flux before its public release, with the debate centered on the wording of the pesticide provisions.
“Until officially released by the White House and MAHA Commission, any documents purporting to be the second MAHA Report should be disregarded as speculative literature,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai.
The document aligns with the administration’s strategy to create change by pressuring industries, rather than through new regulations or laws. Officials have employed the strategy with food companies, health insurers and pharmaceutical producers so far.
Pesticides Approach
The draft takes a lighter touch on pesticides, after a backlash from the agricultural community before the first report’s release prompted an internal debate over the issue.
The document calls for continually evaluating the current framework to “ensure that chemicals and other exposures do not interact together to pose a threat to the health of our children.” It references measuring the “cumulative exposure” to chemicals. That could rankle farmers and agriculture firms, which say that pesticides are safe to use and disputes language that suggests they could be harmful to Americans.
Kennedy has been skeptical of some vaccines, and the document calls for more research on vaccine injuries. The draft has vague pronouncements such as “ensuring scientific and medical freedom” and making sure Americans have the “best” vaccination schedule.
The agency will launch a “MAHA education campaign” to promote the early adoption of lifestyle changes that may increase fertility rates among men and women, including through new partnerships with federally funded family planning facilities, according to the draft, which didn’t provide specific examples of what would be taught.
Kennedy has repeatedly raised concerns over declining sperm counts and testosterone rates, especially among teenage boys, to explain declining US birth rates.
Processed Foods
The draft report criticizes “highly processed foods,” listing poor diet among the top drivers of children’s chronic diseases, but didn’t propose any significant new restrictions on the industry. The administration has already begun the process of defining “ultra processed foods,” which it said will be used to develop future research funding and policies.
The report refers to highly processed foods more often than ultra-processed foods and doesn’t distinguish between the terms. Ultra-processed foods typically involve some industrial steps or ingredients, unlike whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. Many packaged foods are generally considered ultra-processed.
The report also pointed to forthcoming revised dietary guidelines, which Trump officials have estimated will be released in the fall. Kennedy has said those guidelines will encourage people to eat “whole foods,” and will be simple and easy to understand.
The draft report previews several public health awareness campaigns it plans to launch, including a “Real Food First” push to “prioritize whole, minimally processed foods over packaged and highly processed alternatives.”
Whole Milk
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has indicated the dietary guidelines will take a new approach toward saturated fat. The draft report included one hint of what could be coming, by specifically calling to remove the restrictions around serving whole milk in schools. Because the current dietary guidelines recommend limiting consumption of foods high in saturated fat to less than 10% of calories daily, schools serve only skim and 1% milk.
The draft calls for increased oversight and enforcement of advertisements for direct-to-consumer drugs. The report suggests that social media influencers and telehealth companies – categories that have historically fallen into a regulatory gray area – should be subject to greater oversight when promoting drugs.
Lawmakers have been pressuring the federal government to take action on the influx of advertisements from telehealth companies that offer copycat weight-loss medications. That includes allegations that Hims & Hers Health Inc. omitted safety information in advertising.
--With assistance from Ilena Peng, Charles Gorrivan and Madison Muller.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US secretary of Health and Human Services, left, and President Donald Trump during a news conference at the White House on May 12.
(Bloomberg) -- A draft of the Trump administration’s highly anticipated blueprint on health policy takes a softer approach to regulating companies than many had feared, a relief for industry and setback for environmental activists.
The draft report, which has been reviewed by Bloomberg News, has parts that go beyond previous announcements. They are mostly about boosting research in areas such as the risks of microplastics and how antidepressants are prescribed for children. It also refers to plans to boost fertility rates and getting whole milk into public schools.
The draft was dated Aug. 11, but could still see changes before it’s finalized, according to people familiar with the discussions who weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter. In particular, the report’s tone around pesticides is far less critical than Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies have been in the past. That raised concerns earlier this week from some of his supporters in the so-called Make America Healthy Again movement, according to the people.
The policy agenda is the second installment in a two-part process to carry out an executive order that President Donald Trump signed in February. The first report detailed research about what the administration viewed as the root cause of chronic disease among children, and the second was intended to lay out policies to address those root causes. The strategy was due to be submitted to the president on Aug. 12, but hasn’t been publicly released.
The White House declined to confirm the draft’s authenticity, but industry officials said it was largely in line with what they had been briefed on by the administration. Still, the report appeared in flux before its public release, with the debate centered on the wording of the pesticide provisions.
“Until officially released by the White House and MAHA Commission, any documents purporting to be the second MAHA Report should be disregarded as speculative literature,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai.
The document aligns with the administration’s strategy to create change by pressuring industries, rather than through new regulations or laws. Officials have employed the strategy with food companies, health insurers and pharmaceutical producers so far.
Pesticides Approach
The draft takes a lighter touch on pesticides, after a backlash from the agricultural community before the first report’s release prompted an internal debate over the issue.
The document calls for continually evaluating the current framework to “ensure that chemicals and other exposures do not interact together to pose a threat to the health of our children.” It references measuring the “cumulative exposure” to chemicals. That could rankle farmers and agriculture firms, which say that pesticides are safe to use and disputes language that suggests they could be harmful to Americans.
Kennedy has been skeptical of some vaccines, and the document calls for more research on vaccine injuries. The draft has vague pronouncements such as “ensuring scientific and medical freedom” and making sure Americans have the “best” vaccination schedule.
The agency will launch a “MAHA education campaign” to promote the early adoption of lifestyle changes that may increase fertility rates among men and women, including through new partnerships with federally funded family planning facilities, according to the draft, which didn’t provide specific examples of what would be taught.
Kennedy has repeatedly raised concerns over declining sperm counts and testosterone rates, especially among teenage boys, to explain declining US birth rates.
Processed Foods
The draft report criticizes “highly processed foods,” listing poor diet among the top drivers of children’s chronic diseases, but didn’t propose any significant new restrictions on the industry. The administration has already begun the process of defining “ultra processed foods,” which it said will be used to develop future research funding and policies.
The report refers to highly processed foods more often than ultra-processed foods and doesn’t distinguish between the terms. Ultra-processed foods typically involve some industrial steps or ingredients, unlike whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. Many packaged foods are generally considered ultra-processed.
The report also pointed to forthcoming revised dietary guidelines, which Trump officials have estimated will be released in the fall. Kennedy has said those guidelines will encourage people to eat “whole foods,” and will be simple and easy to understand.
The draft report previews several public health awareness campaigns it plans to launch, including a “Real Food First” push to “prioritize whole, minimally processed foods over packaged and highly processed alternatives.”
Whole Milk
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has indicated the dietary guidelines will take a new approach toward saturated fat. The draft report included one hint of what could be coming, by specifically calling to remove the restrictions around serving whole milk in schools. Because the current dietary guidelines recommend limiting consumption of foods high in saturated fat to less than 10% of calories daily, schools serve only skim and 1% milk.
The draft calls for increased oversight and enforcement of advertisements for direct-to-consumer drugs. The report suggests that social media influencers and telehealth companies – categories that have historically fallen into a regulatory gray area – should be subject to greater oversight when promoting drugs.
Lawmakers have been pressuring the federal government to take action on the influx of advertisements from telehealth companies that offer copycat weight-loss medications. That includes allegations that Hims & Hers Health Inc. omitted safety information in advertising.
--With assistance from Ilena Peng, Charles Gorrivan and Madison Muller.
Bloomberg Businessweek
Trump Admin’s MAHA Agenda Brings Politics to the Dinner Table
Trump Admin’s MAHA Agenda Brings Politics to the Dinner Table
Jamie Wilde
Fri, August 15, 2025
Photo via Franki Chamaki
Major food brands are rushing to overhaul their ingredient lists before the release of the Trump administration’s second “Make America Healthy Again” report. The new report, which is expected to outline strategies for addressing claims made in the first, was supposed to go live this week but has been delayed.
Under MAHA, companies have been scrutinized for their use of seed oils, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes. Whether or not MAHA’s health claims are accurate and its policies enforceable, the food and beverage industry is entering the conversation and trying to use the moment as a marketing opportunity, according to several reports Thursday.
Tuning the Brand Voice
Most major brands that shoppers see on cereal boxes, snacks, and drinks are putting out announcements about how they’re aligning with MAHA guidelines:
Froot Loops-maker WK Kellogg and Lucky Charms-maker General Mills both plan to eliminate artificial food dyes from their cereals. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola intends to release a cane-sugar version of its soda in the US, and PepsiCo said it’ll do the same with its namesake soda (plus add some trendy probiotics).
The impacts go beyond groceries. Fast food chain Steak ’n Shake turned its recent switch from vegetable oil to beef tallow into an advertising campaign, while Bloomberg reports Starbucks is looking into how it could swap out canola oil at its cafes.
But using MAHA as a marketing moment could backfire. American shoppers are increasingly discerning, with only about half trusting food companies and a growing number scanning food labels, according to Ketchum. Companies want to fix that relationship and get on the Trump admin’s good side. At the same time, getting too cozy with MAHA policies could alienate customers who disagree with the initiative’s claims.
Tastes Can Change: Chobani’s founders warned that ingredient swaps can be a lengthy process (supply chains aren’t shuffled overnight) and one that not all customers like, not just because of their political beliefs. Case in point: General Mills, which promised this summer to remove artificial dyes from all its cereals, previously removed dyes from Trix cereal in 2016. But the cereal brand brought back the vibrant colors following customer backlash. One customer called the reformulated Trix, which used natural veggie-based dyes, “basically a salad.”
No comments:
Post a Comment