Happy Friday, and welcome to Food Fix. The best way to make sure you don’t miss a beat in the food policy world is to upgrade to a paid subscription and get Food Fix in your inbox twice per week.
New podcast alert: There’s a new episode of Forked this week: Theodore Ross and I interviewed Vani Hari, known to many as Food Babe. We discussed MAHA, midterm politics and much more.
Correction: In last week’s edition, I referred to Michael Jacobson, founder of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, as retired. He did retire from his post as head of CSPI several years ago, but he is now working to establish a National Food Museum. I’m sorry for the error!
As always, I truly 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
***
Republicans look to MAHA for a midterm boost
I spotted a bunch of headlines this week about the idea that “Make America Healthy Again” supporters could help Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.
Politico wrote about GOP leaders pinning their hopes on MAHA (and how some Democrats are afraid it might work). NewsNation had a segment on how MAHA voters are wildcards going into election season. KFF Health News dug into the polling, and the contradictions between MAHA priorities and the administration’s policies. Over at Fox News, there were two segments this week on this very topic.
President Donald Trump even cracked a joke about it during a Cabinet meeting Thursday, referring to MAHA leader and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. : “I read an article today where they think Bobby is going to be really great for the Republican party in the midterms, so I have to be careful that Bobby likes us!”
Context: Historically, the U.S. president’s party loses some ground in the first midterm election. Beyond that trend, the GOP is facing additional headwinds right now: Food prices continue to climb, health care costs are up, and this administration’s immigration policies are unpopular, to name just a few.
If you’ve been reading this newsletter or listening to the podcast I co-host, Forked, you know that I’ve been talking a lot about the role MAHA could play in the midterms and how Republicans are trying to hold this MAHA-MAGA marriage together. In recent months, we’ve seen key MAHA movement leaders try to shame this administration into doing things that actually align with MAHA principles, instead of defaulting to the more traditional GOP posture of deregulation.
Pesticide problems: For example, we’ve seen MAHA leaders warn Republicans repeatedly that doing industry’s bidding on issues like pesticides will come back to haunt them in the midterm elections. Van Hari, known to many as Food Babe, said as much this week on Forked:
“The MAHA voter is extremely independent-minded… When you look at polling on [more strictly regulating] pesticides, it is… super popular,” Hari said. “If the Republicans know what’s good for them, they should do something about this issue. It’s so incredibly popular.”
Instead, Trump’s EPA has made several deregulatory moves and approved new pesticides that environmentalists contend act like PFAS or so-called “forever chemicals” in the environment. The administration also formally backed Bayer in its bid for the Supreme Court to limit its liability for cancer cases that plaintiffs allege were caused by glyphosate (a product of Monsanto, which Bayer acquired back in 2018).
Needless to say, the MAHA moms who are paying attention to this stuff are pissed.
Zen Honeycutt, founder and executive director of Moms Across America, who’s also a key leader within MAHA, took to X this week with a list of every chemical of concern that Trump’s EPA has weakened, cut, or delayed regulations for, including PFAS, formaldehyde, asbestos, mercury and many others.
“These changes weaken how chemicals are regulated, often increasing allowable exposure levels or reducing enforcement against industrial emitters,” Honeycutt wrote. “This is not MAHA.”
MAHA messaging: As I noted last week, RFK Jr. now appears to be testing a sort of campaign stump speech by touting many of the MAHA policies the administration is working on, like phasing out synthetic food dyes (a work in progress), updating infant formula standards with Operation Stork Speed (in early stages) and the revamp of the dietary guidelines, which made a huge splash earlier this month.
Of course, not everyone is convinced that this MAHA alliance matters for the midterms. In a Fox News segment earlier this week, commentators were skeptical that these issues will really matter in November. Jessica Tarlov, a Democrat pollster on Fox News’ The Five, argued that Kennedy could end up being a liability for Republicans because of his polarizing and unpopular anti-vaccine or anti-Tylenol efforts.
The Fox host who argued most strongly for MAHA was Jesse Watters, who claimed that Kennedy is ranked second in popularity only to Trump himself. “This guy is a weapon – deploy him!”
Several polls have found a majority of Americans disapprove of Kennedy’s performance as HHS secretary, but a poll last month also found him to be one of the most popular politicians in the country.
Alex Clark, a conservative wellness influencer affiliated with Turning Point USA, reacted to the Fox News skepticism by pointing out that MAHA advocates had successfully beat back pesticide liability bills in a couple of states in recent weeks.
“IGNORE MAHA IN THE MIDTERMS AT YOUR OWN PERIL,” she wrote on X Thursday.
It’ll be interesting to see whether Kennedy leans more into food vs. vaccine issues on the campaign trail, because the former is so much more popular than the latter, even among Republican voters.
Polling last month from Fabrizio Ward, a go-to pollster in Trump world, found that there’s strong trust among registered midterm voters in vaccine safety and efficacy – and going after these products would be politically risky.
“While the MAHA agenda is broadly popular in the area [of] food and agriculture, vaccine skepticism stands as an outlier, rejected by most voters even within the MAHA movement,” they concluded. “Food policy, a key aspect of the MAHA policy agenda, resonates among most voters in these [Congressional swing] districts, across party lines.”
***
What I’m reading
Two companies made dried milk powder linked to botulism in ByHeart baby formula (AP). “Two companies processed and supplied dried milk powder that could be a culprit in the outbreak of botulism tied to ByHeart infant formula that has sickened dozens of babies, The Associated Press has learned,” Jonel Aleccia reports. “Organic whole milk powder that tested positive for the type of bacteria that causes botulism was made from milk provided by Organic West Milk Inc., a California company, and processed at a Dairy Farmers of America plant in Fallon, Nevada, company officials said. The source of the contamination, however, is not yet known. Both companies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration emphasized that the investigation into the unprecedented outbreak that has sickened 51 babies in 19 states is ongoing.”
Babies are getting sick from formula that mimics mother’s milk (Bloomberg). “Baby formula contamination crises that have prompted recalls around the world underscore a recurring problem with infant nutrition: the more sophisticated it becomes, the harder it is to keep safe,” write Jillian Deutsch, Fabienne Kinzelmann, and Anna Edney. “In France, authorities are investigating the deaths of two infants who died after consuming potentially tainted formula, prompting fresh fears over the risks of a global market dominated by Nestlé SA, Danone SA and Abbott Laboratories. In the US, health officials are investigating hospitalizations tied to formula from ByHeart Inc., a fast-growing American startup. Together, the cases highlight weaknesses in an industry that has long struggled to balance nutritional innovation with safety.”
Is a cookie a type of candy? Supermarkets have a new food-stamp conundrum (Wall Street Journal). “Bob Baesler’s supermarket has stocked gum, licorice and chocolate bars for decades. It wasn’t until this year that he needed to figure out what candy really is. Baesler’s Market, a fifth-generation grocer, is one of thousands of retailers across the country thrust onto the front lines of the Trump administration’s effort to overhaul the food-stamp program. Beginning last year, the administration has sought to strip soda and junk food from the program by encouraging states to restrict what food-stamp recipients can buy,” write Jesse Newman and Laura Cooper. “Eighteen states have adopted new food-stamp restrictions, and more could soon. But the limits vary widely by state, and grocery executives said that determining which products are food-stamp eligible and which aren’t has become a complex undertaking.”
Twix is OK but Granola isn’t as states deploy new food stamp rules (New York Times). “Next month, consumers in Idaho will be able to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to buy a Twix candy bar, but not a flourless granola bar with chocolate chips. And in April, government assistance can be used in Virginia to pay for sweetened iced tea and lemonade, but not some brands of sparkling, sweetened fruit juice. The opposite will be true in Texas. The Agriculture Department, which administers SNAP benefits, is rapidly approving waivers for states to ban the purchase of soda, energy drinks and, in some states, candy or prepared desserts using food stamps,” Julie Creswell and Linda Qiu write. “The patchwork of restrictions among states is also creating a bit of a logistical nightmare for grocers – particularly small ones –— that have to customize their payment systems in each state.”
Florida’s candy toxin test findings: Parents troubled, candymakers outraged (Daytona Beach News-Journal). “Gov. Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis, and Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced the candy testing results conducted by [Florida Department of Health] as part of the ‘Healthy Florida First’ initiative on Monday, Jan. 26. FDOH recently conducted a similar testing of infant formulas. The latest study found 28 of the 46 candy products tested to have arsenic levels high enough to warrant the FDOH’s recommendations for strict ‘safe consumption’ limits,” reports Clayton Park “The National Confectioners Association was quick to rebut claims made in the FDOH candy test report. ‘Chocolate and candy are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries,’ the Washington, D.C.-based organization stated in a news release. ‘The recent announcement from the State of Florida is misguided and demonstrates a glaring lack of transparency related to data-driven, scientific safety thresholds and the evaluation of confectionery products.’”
Governor Abbott declares disaster to combat screwworm fly threat in Texas (KFOX14). “Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a statewide disaster declaration to prevent the potential spread of the New World screwworm fly into Texas. The declaration aims to equip the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team with resources to protect livestock and wildlife,” reports Erika Esquivel. “The governor has directed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission to form a joint response team. Additionally, Texas is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a $750 million Domestic Sterile NWS Production Facility in Edinburg, Texas.”
The MAHA women who refuse to give up their Botox (The Cut). “Around five years ago, Krisdee Clark began to see cancer everywhere. There were risk factors, she realized, in food, household products, and even personal-care items,” Daisy Schofield writes. “She had just received a diagnosis of stage-three breast cancer, and it shocked her into rethinking her whole approach to health. … It was during this time, and in the years after she went into remission, that Make America Healthy Again began taking hold. … Like many MAHA followers, Clark now steers clear of certain household and beauty products – avoiding or minimizing products with ingredients like parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, and certain harsh preservatives – while favoring minimally processed oils and transparently sourced meats. … But she has carved out one loophole. ‘I love Botox, and I use it periodically to keep a youthful look,’ she says. ‘As somebody in my 40s, Botox is my friend.’”
***
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!
