Happy Friday, and welcome to Food Fix. It’s been a busy week here in Washington, to say the least!
Upgrade today: If you work in the food space, it’s absolutely worth upgrading to get Tuesday newsletters, which cover more topics and are (I’m told) enormously helpful for making sense of the food policy landscape. Paid subscribers got a copy of the MAHA commission report before anyone else this week.
Fresh podcast: In case you missed it: I recently launched a new podcast with Theodore Ross over at The Food & Environment Reporting Network. It’s called Forked, and this week we put out our third episode about MAHA infighting over Trump’s surgeon general pick.
As always, I welcome feedback. Reply to this email or drop me a note: helena@foodfix.co.
Alright, let’s get to it –
Helena
***
Washington strikes back over MAHA commission report
One thing that’s been striking to me about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” crusade is how quiet the food and agriculture industry has been in response.
When Kennedy declared last month from the headquarters of the Department of Health and Human Services that “sugar is poison,” I didn’t get a single press release about it. Not a peep. (The Sugar Association did comment when asked.) As far as I know, no sugar growers took to the streets in protest. Industry has been similarly quiet, or rather demure, in its response to much of RFK Jr.’s message — on seed oils being poison, on school lunch being poison, on processed foods being poison, and so on.
You just don’t see pro-industry attack dogs anywhere, not on cable news, and certainly not in my inbox. The most successful social media influencers who are highly critical of the MAHA movement basically agree ultra-processed foods are bad news, though they also argue the Trump administration is paradoxically making it harder for people to eat healthy by supporting cuts to local food purchases, SNAP, Medicaid, scientific research, and so on. As MAHA gained real power in Washington, and as Republicans on Capitol Hill largely abandoned their defense of industry, afraid of the blowback from legions of “MAHA moms,” the industry has fought back mostly behind the scenes, trying to pressure the administration and lawmakers without fanfare.
Industry leaders had frankly hoped to avoid a public brawl with the Trump administration over MAHA. It’s all especially complicated for agriculture groups, whose farmer members overwhelmingly support President Donald Trump and are wary to ever cross him. But Kennedy’s rhetoric on pesticides, on processed foods, on farming practices and so on, is deeply threatening to American agriculture and the entire food system. Kennedy is not only indicting the system we have, but calling for radical change.
This week, as the Trump administration prepared to release its sweeping MAHA commission report — laying out what’s driving alarming rates of childhood chronic disease — the dam started to break, and the pushback started to come into public view.
An industry warning: On Tuesday, the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers and International Fresh Produce Association jointly issued a statement “imploring the administration to consider the consequences” of the report “before it is finalized.”
“We urge President Trump to ensure that the MAHA Commission report is based on sound science and evidence-based claims rather than opinions and preferences of social influencers and single-issue activists with little to no experience in actual farming or food production,” the groups said. As I noted on Tuesday, this was by far the sharpest statement I’d seen from an industry group.
By the time the MAHA commission report was released by the White House on Thursday, the gloves were off. Ag groups and pesticide makers applied enough pressure to get certain wording changed in the report, but it still mentions pesticides dozens of times.
“The cumulative load of thousands of synthetic chemicals that our children are exposed to through the food they eat, the water they drink, and the air they breathe may pose risks to their long-term health, including neurodevelopmental and endocrine effects,” the report says. It also notes that there are more than 40,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S. and that “pesticides, microplastics, and dioxins are commonly found in the blood and urine of American children and pregnant women—some at alarming levels.”
A stark report: The MAHA commission report lays out several “potential drivers” of increased rates of chronic disease among children, including: poor diet, “aggregation of environmental chemicals,” lack of physical activity and “overmedicalization.”
“Over the past two generations, we have failed to address the alarming rise in childhood chronic disease,” the report says. “Federal and state policy have sometimes been guided more by corporate profit than the public interest. Many of our leading scientific and medical institutions have grown complacent, defaulting to symptom management rather than harnessing gold-standard science to prevent and reverse root causes.”
“The U.S. food and agricultural systems have embraced ultra-processed ingredients and synthetic chemicals,” the report continues. “Meanwhile, our healthcare system has over-medicalized children, frequently masking and compounding underlying issues.”
Ag unleashed: The American Soybean Association (ASA) came out swinging against the report, calling it “brazenly unscientific and damaging to consumer confidence in America’s safe, reliable food system.”
“Should the administration act on the report—which was drafted entirely behind closed doors— it will harm U.S. farmers, increase food costs for consumers, and worsen health outcomes for all Americans,” the group said. “ASA calls on President Trump, who has long been a friend of farmers, to step in and correct the Commission’s deeply misguided report.”
“It is deeply troubling for the White House to endorse a report that sows seeds of doubt and fear about our food system and farming practices, then attempts to celebrate farmers and the critical role they play in producing the safest food supply in the world,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), noting that farmers were “excluded from development of the report, despite many requests for a seat at the table.”
That’s a pretty harsh statement from a group that’s long been quite friendly with Trump — he’s previously spoken at AFBF’s annual convention — and it gets at the long-simmering frustration over how the MAHA agenda has gained real influence within the administration.
President Trump seemed to acknowledge the tensions with agriculture during the White House rollout event on Thursday, but he didn’t get into the meat of the disagreement.
“We have the greatest farmers in the world,” Trump said out of the blue. “We love our farmers, and we want to pay respect to our farmers and we always will,” he said, noting he did well with farmers in 2016, 2020 and 2024. He did not go as far as defending farm practices or the safety of the American food supply, though Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins did.
“We have the most robust, the safest, the best agriculture system in the world,” Rollins said at the White House, as she lavished praise on “the amazing” Secretary Kennedy and “the extraordinary” President Trump for their leadership. “We will make America healthy again — and what an honor it is to be a part of that.”
MAHA ‘very hot’: I was part of the press pool covering the MAHA commission rollout in the East Room of the White House Thursday — the room was absolutely packed, and the vibe was celebratory. There were tons of moms with kids in the room. Trump himself seemed pleased with the spectacle of it all — he was flanked by a good portion of his cabinet, including Rollins, Kennedy, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, as well as FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, among others.
The most telling thing I heard during the event was from Trump himself. He said more than once that MAHA is “hot.”
“Let me say congratulations to the entire MAHA movement,” Trump said. “This movement has become very hot.”
Infighting: I’m told there was a ton of infighting within the administration over this report, and edits were being made down to the wire. USDA and EPA, in particular, didn’t see eye to eye with HHS on how far the report should go on a whole host of issues, raising concerns about not just public perception of the food supply, but also whether the report would open up American industry and even potentially federal agencies to liability. (The American government suggesting something is harmful in an official document carries weight in court.) There were also concerns about whether the report could have trade implications. If a government commission essentially concludes the American food supply is driving chronic disease, wouldn’t that make other countries less likely to buy our products?
One line in particular stuck out to me as a clear addition that came from outside HHS: “The American food system is safe but could be healthier.”
Per the Wall Street Journal’s Natalie Andrews, Liz Essley Whyte and Josh Dawsey: “The White House made last-minute changes to the report, including cutting references to agricultural company Monsanto and details of corporate lobbying on ‘forever chemicals’ and food labeling, as well as conflicts of interest in chemical regulation. The White House also shortened a section on vaccines and added recognition that vaccines benefit children by protecting them from infectious diseases.”
Notably, the MAHA report didn’t include the word “poison.” But not long after the report was released, Kennedy went on CNN and was much more frank in an interview with Kaitlan Collins: “Processed foods are poison,” he said. The secretary then shared the clip on X.
(Sidenote: I ran into Kennedy while I was at the White House and started to ask him a question right as he was swapping in what appeared to be a Zyn, or similar nicotine pouch. Unfortunately, a staffer promptly shut down our impromptu chat.)
Later, I asked the White House about the infighting and criticism from the left that the report doesn’t go far enough to call for a crackdown on pesticides.
“President Trump pledged to Make America Healthy Again, and every member of the Administration is aligned on delivering on this promise,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai. “The MAHA Commission’s report was a historic interagency assessment by the federal government of what the research and evidence suggests could be contributing to the health crisis among our nation’s children. The guiding principle of this report was not politics, but Gold Standard Science.”
What’s next: I expect there to be a lot more public fighting over all of this. No more kid gloves from industry. The MAHA commission has 80 days to come up with another report that will outline the government’s strategy for addressing childhood chronic disease. As I noted earlier this week, that is where things will get even harder.
***
What I’m reading
How Trump’s ‘one, big, beautiful’ tax bill could impact programs for women and children (19th News). “Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives approved a sweeping package early Thursday morning that contains what advocates call ‘historic’ cuts to government health insurance and nutrition programs that serve lower-income Americans,” reports Amanda Becker. “President Donald Trump wanted ‘one, big, beautiful bill’ and GOP Speaker Mike Johnson pushed to get the package through the House before the Memorial Day recess. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to undergo significant changes. Some of the largest cuts would come from Medicaid, the popular government health insurance program that covers more than 70 million lower-income Americans. House Republicans also agreed on significant changes in eligibility to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, which helps more than 40 million Americans buy groceries every month. Both programs are disproportionately used by women and children.”
A salmonella outbreak sickens dozens, prompting a cucumber recall (NPR). “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recalling cucumbers across the country over a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than two dozen people in multiple states,” writes Rachel Treisman. “On Monday, the FDA announced a recall for cucumbers grown by South Florida-based Bedner Growers between April 29 and May 19. The FDA says Fresh Start Produce Sales distributed them to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers and food service distributors nationwide … and it is unclear exactly where else they may have ended up. The cucumbers have made 26 people sick, nine of whom required hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The cases are spread out across 15 states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The agency says investigators conducting a follow-up inspection in April collected an environmental sample from Bedner Growers that was positive for the disease and matched recent clinical samples from people who got sick.”
What the anti-fluoride campaign is really about (Washington Post). “There’s a legitimate debate to be had about adding fluoride to drinking water. The practice has long been lauded as a victory for dental health because the chemical can strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. But too much of it presents real health risks,” writes The Washington Post Editorial Board. “In other words, the issue is complicated and calls for nuance and respect for science. Unfortunately, many politicians — cheered on by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — have opted for over-the-top rhetoric and ham-fisted bans. At best, this anti-fluoride campaign is an overreaction. At worst, it is an attempt to distort research to promote ideology over public health. It’s not unreasonable to question fluoridation practices; in the past half-century, dental hygiene has greatly improved, and most toothpaste products now contain fluoride, so it is less essential that it be in drinking water. But these days it might offer only ‘slightly less’ tooth decay among children, according to a 2024 meta-analysis of 21 studies. And it might make ‘little or no difference.’ But this doesn’t suggest fluoride should be eliminated.”
Arkansas shares certain SNAP applicant numbers with federal government (Arkansas Advocate). “The Arkansas Department of Human Services is providing the U.S. Department of Agriculture with data on the number of certain SNAP program applicants, following a sweeping demand from the government earlier this month,” reports Ainsley Platt. “The data-sharing was initially confirmed in emails provided to the Advocate through an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request, and then by a DHS spokesperson, who said none of the information shared thus far was personally identifiable. A USDA official sent a letter to states on May 6, stating they would need to provide USDA with a trove of personally-identifiable information on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, such as names, addresses and Social Security numbers — data not typically shared with USDA as part of the SNAP program. USDA requires ‘unfettered access’ to the data held by states and third-party processors, the letter said, to eliminate inefficiencies and fraud in accordance with Trump’s executive order.”
***
Why you should upgrade to a paid subscription to Food Fix
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!
