US Launches New Food Rules Under the MAHA Agenda

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced two major food policy changes on 11 August. The policy falls under President Trump's agenda, Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) and HHS is also urging Congress to pass the laws that ensure the safety of the American food supply.

The government is now proposing a new rule requiring manufacturers to notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if they think the ingredients are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). The government says this would give the FDA more information about what ingredients are entering the food supply. This step will make the process more transparent, providing consumers and regulators better visibility into which substances companies are using, and what exactly they are consuming.

HHS and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have proposed a new definition for Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs).  The proposal is being reviewed before it gets finalized. Research has shown that high consumption of UPFs is connected to preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. However, the absence of standard federal definitions for UPFs has made the research inconsistent.

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said, “Nearly 60% of the American diet is made up of ultra-processed foods, and childhood obesity now affects more than one in five American children.” She further said, “We cannot reverse America’s chronic disease epidemic without transforming our food system. These historic actions bring greater transparency to what’s in our food and stronger science to federal nutrition policy. President Trump and I promised to Make America Healthy Again, and today we are turning that promise into policy.”

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