On September 9, 2025, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its comprehensive strategy aimed at reversing the rise of childhood chronic diseases in the U.S. The “Make Our Children Healthy Again” strategy outlines over 120 initiatives that span nutrition, environmental health, regulatory reform, and public-private collaboration. While the strategy is ostensibly focused on public health goals, its effects on food production are significant and complex. A few highlights of the strategy are:

• A “government-wide” definition of “ultra-processed foods” to support potential future research and policy activity.
• Implementing GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) reform by requiring mandatory notification - a significant departure from the current voluntary GRAS framework.
• Implementing a systematic process for post-market assessment of chemicals in food, including food additives, color additives, GRAS substances, food contact substances, and environmental contaminants.
• Limiting or prohibiting the use of petroleum-based food dyes in all food products approved in the U.S. and expediting review and approval of color additive petitions for colors from natural sources.
• Regulatory reform efforts regarding food ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, seed oils, and artificial dyes.
• Updating Dietary Guidelines for Americans and rulemaking to modify Front-of-Pack Nutrition Information labeling.

This list is … ambitious (and does not include MAHA strategy efforts in other areas). It is too soon to predict the where, when, and hows of the MAHA strategy's implementation efforts, but expect to see increased administrative regulatory review and rulemaking in these areas. Voluntary efforts by the industry are already being announced (see the U.S. ice cream industry's recent pledge to remove the majority of certain artificial food dyes in ice cream by 2028). 

The consumer still reigns supreme in the grocery store aisles. Time will tell if MAHA's food focus will impact consumer demands and expectations more quickly than the slow and methodical administrative rulemaking process. What's your prediction?