Happy Friday, and welcome to Food Fix. I’m very much in my feelings because my littlest, Ella, turned two this week. It felt like the blink of an eye. All those parenting cliches are true for a reason, I guess!
New Forked: We’ve got a new episode of Forked out this week. Theodore Ross and I discuss MAHA and the fight over glyphosate, the farm bill and more. (Note, this was taped before the big amendment vote last week, but still interesting.) Follow/listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Don’t miss out: The best way to make sure you don’t miss a beat in food policy is to upgrade to a paid subscription and get Food Fix in your inbox twice per week. Almost everyone who upgrades finds it valuable.
As always, I welcome your feedback. Send me your thoughts by replying to this email, or drop me a line: helena@foodfix.co.
Alright, let’s get to it –
Helena
***
MAHA’s strained marriage on full display ahead of midterms
After riding high last week from a big win on pesticides in the House, MAHA is all of the sudden in the pits this week.
CNN’s Adam Cancryn and Sarah Owermohle reported Thursday that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been put on a shorter political leash “even at the risk of alienating the legion of followers he brought into the Republican Party” ahead of the midterms.
The piece noted that Kennedy was very involved in the selection of key MAHA voice Casey Means to be President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, but after Means’ nomination sputtered in the Senate, Kennedy “played little role” in selecting the replacement pick: Nicole Saphier.
Per that report: “Saphier came up as one of a host of options drawn up by White House officials, people familiar with the process said. The radiologist and Fox News contributor has no prior substantial relationship with Kennedy and a lengthy history of criticizing him and some of his policies.”
Are vapes MAHA? Adding insult to injury this week, the entire concept of MAHA is being roundly mocked because the FDA appears to have caved to political pressure from President Trump to approve fruit flavored vapes.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary was reportedly against approving the vapes (there’s a lot of concern that fruit flavors would encourage kids to take up vaping). Wall Street Journal’s Liz Essley Whyte and Natalie Andrews reported this week that the president last weekend “upbraided [Makary] for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products. … In a series of weekend calls while in Florida and conversations at the White House on Monday, Trump sought advice from his advisers about Makary and the importance of flavored vaping to young MAGA voters.”
The FDA then on Tuesday announced it had authorized some flavored vape products from Los Angeles manufacturer Glas.
Just to be very clear, this is not how the FDA is supposed to work. Political pressure or meddling from the outside on product approvals, while not without precedent, is scandalous. This kind of thing only further undermines what little trust FDA has left.
For what it’s worth, White House spokesman Kush Desai pointed blame at the Biden administration in a statement to WSJ, saying: “The only factor guiding the Trump administration’s health policymaking is Gold Standard Science, and the FDA under Commissioner Makary’s trailblazing leadership will continue to make evidence-based decisions that rectify the Biden administration’s missteps and that are in the best interest of the American people.”
Thin ice: There’s also been reporting that Makary — who is very much on team MAHA — is on thin ice with the White House and could lose his job. WSJ just reported moments ago that President Trump has actually signed off on a plan to fire Makary, though the plan could still change.
Paper tiger: Amid all of this, it was actually an unnamed quote in the CNN story that seemed to get under the skin of MAHA supporters the most this week: “I hate to say it, but I think they’re a little bit overrated,” said one Trump adviser. “To some extent, MAHA has always been a paper tiger.”
Vani Hari, a vocal leader within the MAHA movement, didn’t take kindly to this. “A paper tiger doesn’t stop pesticide liability protections in the Farm Bill,” Hari wrote on X Thursday. “A paper tiger doesn’t fill the streets with parents, farmers, doctors, and advocates demanding change. And a paper tiger definitely doesn’t force Washington insiders to start publicly attacking a movement they claim has no power.”
Ideological dispute: In yet another rough moment, Alex Clark, a conservative MAHA influencer affiliated with Turning Point USA, this week railed against the Trump administration for moves to weaken PFAS regulations.
“So we’re seriously considering rolling BACK protections on PFAS in drinking water?!” Clark wrote. “These are ‘forever chemicals’ linked to major health risks and Americans want MORE accountability here, not less. Don’t weaken PFAS regulations!!!”
New poll: Clark, on this point, is correct. There is a new Health Tracking poll out this week from KFF that found strong majorities of the public say there is not enough regulation of chemical additives in food (75 percent) or of pesticides used in agriculture (64 percent) in the U.S.
The poll suggests Americans want more government intervention, but confidence in the government agencies involved here is low across party lines. About a third of the public express confidence in the FDA (36 percent) and the EPA (36 percent) to act independently without outside interference, per KFF.
The survey also found that about four in 10 Americans say they support the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. “Yet, many of the concerns elevated by the MAHA movement about food safety and corporate influence resonate with a larger share of the public beyond those who identify as supporters.”
SNAP watch: While all of this MAHA drama was unfolding this week, USDA was in its own world touting a final rule to expand the food stocking requirements for retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has repeatedly painted the stocking changes as part of the MAHA agenda, but these changes actually stem from the 2014 farm bill. Congress wanted to expand the variety of foods that a retailer had to carry to be able to accept EBT benefits (think convenience stores). This sparked an epic, decade-long battle with the convenience store lobby.
While the final rule is a real policy change — it doubles the variety of staples that a retailer is required to carry to be SNAP eligible — this is not something I’ve ever heard a rank-and-file MAHA supporter talk about. It’s not high on the priority list, especially as the fury remains over other issues like glyphosate. Consumer advocates have also pointed out that while the rule does mandate more variety, it doesn’t actually include specific nutrition requirements like limits for saturated fat, added sugar or sodium, which means plenty of processed foods count toward variety.
“The irony is not lost on us that the Trump Administration says ‘eat real food’ but won’t require stores to stock it,” said Joelle Johnson, deputy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in a statement.
Bullish take: While MAHA reels from a tough week, some of its supporters might take solace in an interview Theodore Ross and I did with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) for Forked (comes out next week). Booker, for his part, is feeling very hopeful about the power of MAHA going forward.
“Something’s clicking out there. It’s just exciting for me. I am loving the MAHA movement,” Booker told us. “I’m just grateful that there’s this growing movement of people who are very focused on a lot of the food policy issues that I’ve felt a little lonely fighting on for years.”
MAHA’s pesticide win last week was especially heartening for Booker. “I actually think we have a real shot now at keeping those poison pills out of the Senate side farm bill,” he said.
Zooming out: I think it’s fair to say MAHA has been on a rollercoaster — sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. We’re all just along for the ride.
***
What I’m reading
FDA’s new playbook: Lots of media announcements but not much rulemaking (AP). “In one of his first major announcements as health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called a news conference to unveil a plan to ‘phase out’ synthetic food dyes,” writes Matthew Perrone “More than a year later, the FDA has not introduced any of the detailed, scientific regulatory documents needed to establish a safety issue with the half-dozen widely used dyes. Instead, the FDA maintains an online list of manufacturers that have pledged to phase out the chemicals. The administration’s handling of food dyes reflects its approach to a number of health priorities. Instead of using the time-consuming process of federal rulemaking, which can stretch across multiple administrations, officials working under Republican President Donald Trump have found a quicker approach: Announce sweeping changes first and deal with the regulations later.”
Infant formula recalled over possible toxin (The Hill). “Thousands of tins of infant formula have been recalled over a toxin that could lead to illness among babies who consume it, according to a notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,” reports Addy Bink. “In the notice, shared Saturday, the FDA said a2 Milk Company of Colorado had issued a voluntary recall of three batches of its a2 Platinum Premium USA formula, advertised for children who are 12 months old and younger. Cereulide, a toxin created by some strains of the Bacillus cereus bacterium, was found to be present in the formula, the notice warns. The toxin, which is not eliminated even when the formula is prepared with hot water, can make infants sick within as little as 30 minutes. Symptoms, which usually develop within six hours, are generally gastrointestinal, including nausea and vomiting. While these symptoms can pass within a day, the FDA warns that infants are at a greater risk and may experience complications, like dehydration, that could require medical care.”
A new Medicare option for weight loss drugs is coming: Here’s what to know (NPR). “Starting in July, Medicare beneficiaries may be able to get a GLP-1 prescription for weight loss for $50 a month. It’s a notable shift for Medicare, which has long been barred from covering weight loss treatments,” Jackie Fortiér reports. “The drugs, such as Wegovy and Zepbound, are effective but can be expensive without insurance coverage. They’re available in injection or pill form. Even with discounts, current cash prices typically range from $149 to $699 per month. The initiative, announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, is a short-term pilot program known as the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge. It will run from July 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2027. It’s meant to ‘bridge’ the gap before a longer-term program that might — or might not — begin in 2028. The pilot program will offer coverage for the following GLP-1 medications approved for weight loss: the pill and injectable formulations of Wegovy, the KwikPen formulation of Zepbound, and the Foundayo pill.”
What India’s Diet Coke shortage means for the U.S. (The Atlantic). “Because the country’s Diet Coke comes only in aluminum-can form, Reuters notes, it’s at the mercy of ongoing supply issues stemming from the war in Iran,” writes Will Gottsegen. “The Middle East has the capacity to produce 7 million metric tons of aluminum each year (75 percent of which is exported). That’s 9 percent of the world’s production capacity. And since the fighting began in late February, prices have continued to climb worldwide. In the U.S., the metal is even more expensive than it is in other parts of the world—ironically, thanks to one of the most famous Diet Coke enjoyers on the planet. Donald Trump raised the tariff on aluminum imports last year, which ended up both increasing the regional price of the metal and pushing away some of the Canadian metal that American buyers had relied on. As a result, more aluminum from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain started flowing into the U.S. Now the U.S. is experiencing higher aluminum prices than anywhere else, and it’s more susceptible to incoming price shocks from the Gulf.”
What was lost at the FDA (STAT). “After defending the Trump administration’s dramatic health cuts as a solution to bureaucratic bloat, the health department’s leaders are beginning to realize that a demoralized, diminished workforce will not help them achieve their goals,” reports Lizzy Lawrence. “Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired around 3,500 workers from the Food and Drug Administration last year. He’s now aiming to hire more than 3,200, including scientific reviewers and investigators. As of late April, the FDA has hired about 350. HHS leaders have now acknowledged that earning the trust of and retaining staff is a priority. The news is a relief to FDA employees who have been battling attrition on their teams after a year of layoffs, forced resignations, and voluntary departures to avoid dealing with heightened political pressure. The FDA’s drug and biologics centers are led by acting officials. STAT asked six of these former officials to recount their most challenging responsibilities and experiences at the agency, to more intimately illustrate the expertise the agency has lost.”
Roundup transformed farming in the U.S. Could it change regulation too? (WBUR). “The Supreme Court will soon rule on who gets to decide when a product needs a cancer warning – and who can sue if they’ve been exposed. At the center of the highly politicized debate is America’s most successful weedkiller, Roundup,” write Leila Barghouty and Meghna Chakrabarti.
***
Why you should upgrade to a paid Food Fix subscription
Become a paid subscriber to unlock access to two newsletters each week, packed with insight, analysis and exclusive reporting on what’s happening in food, in Washington and beyond. You’ll also get full access to the Food Fix archive — a great way to get smart on all things food policy.
Expense it: Most paid subscribers expense their subscriptions through work. It’s worth asking!
Discounts: We also offer discounts for government, academia and students. See our subscription options. Individuals who participate in SNAP or other federal nutrition programs qualify for a free Food Fix subscription — just email info@foodfix.co.
Get the Friday newsletter: If someone forwarded you this email, sign yourself up for the free Friday edition of Food Fix. You can also follow Food Fix on X, Bluesky and LinkedIn.
See you next week!
