How MAHA could impact business, product formulation

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How MAHA could impact business, product formulation

15 Jul 2025

Maddie Lambert

Maddie Lambert is a copywriter and editor from Joplin, MO. She graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English – literary studies. When she’s not poring over the magazine or lost in the pages of a new novel, you can find Maddie exploring her local bookstores, spending time with her husband, or sharing her latest literary discoveries with fellow book enthusiasts.

CHICAGO — A regulatory resurgence is reshaping how commercial bakers approach product formulation, labeling and ingredient safety. The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) policy agenda, which has already been reflected in the FDA’s measures to phase out synthetic dyes, indicates a broader push for transparency and nutritional values within the food and beverage industry.

The MAHA initiative could impact product innovation and compliance strategy, and consequently, consumer spending and retention. During a Hot Topics Studio session at IFT FIRST 2025, powered by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), editors of IFT’s Food Technology magazine joined forces for a live recording of IFT’s podcast, Omnivore, as they explored how science-driven companies are navigating these shifts.

The role of ultra-processed foods

Martin J. Hahn, a partner at Hogan Lovells US LLP, started the panel with a discussion on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and how the MAHA movement has brought attention to them in relation to weight gain and chronic disease. However, according to Hahn and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, there is no direct correlation.

“This was the most anti-food industry panel that has convened for the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, and yet, even with their bias against the industry, they concluded there is no causal link between UFPs and weight gain,” Hahn said, “and if you don’t have weight gain, you don’t have the link to chronic disease, but the MAHA movement reports that UPFs are one of the primary drivers between chronic disease.”

“I think the industry can define the future we want and the future consumers want and come to an agreement ... We try for that and we regain the trust of the consumer.” — Maha Tahiri | CEO, founder | Nutrition Sustainability Strategies

A push for clean labels

Food ingredients — such as certified colors, non-nutrient sweeteners, BHA, BHT and seed oils — have also been targeted by the MAHA initiative. But when it comes to a holistic view of health, there are a couple of areas the report doesn’t address, according to Maha Tahiri, CEO and founder of Nutrition Sustainability Strategies.

“MAHA is not covering some of the top issues that have science behind them, such as sodium and added sugar,” she said. “So far, they’re talking about it, but it’s unclear what they’re doing about the Dietary Guidelines and how consumers can change their behavior.”

The clean-label movement is part of the push for reformulation, contributing to why consumers are willing to shift their spending. Sodium reduction has impacted the industry’s overall nutrition approach, and companies are responding accordingly with the targets set by the FDA.

Sodium reduction efforts

The FDA’s sodium reduction initiative is part of the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, which aims to reduce diet-related diseases by 2030. Its Phase II targets align with the goal of reducing average individual sodium intake to approximately 2,750 milligrams per day in the US.

“To an extent, we can get some of these ingredients out of the food supply; there’s an audience there for them, but we have to be smart,” Hahn said. “There are certain ingredients that you simply cannot formulate safely today if you don’t have a preservative in the system. So, we either have to find a different preservative or a different process.”

One example Hahn provided was the use of sodium benzoate in soft drinks. The additive inhibits the growth of yeast and bacteria that cause spoilage and pressure build-up within the can, preventing consumer injury and extending shelf life.

“When the industry knows what to do, they do it,” Tahiri said. “But I think it can be better than that. I think the industry can define the future we want and the future consumers want and come to an agreement on what we would like to see in our food system. We try for that and we regain the trust of the consumer.”

The MAHA agenda, in addition to the FDA’s response to it, is driving food manufacturers to proactively prepare for regulatory shifts rather than scrambling at crunch time. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing health and wellness within a long-term scope. With strategic planning and thoughtful maneuvering, the commercial baking industry is well-equipped to enhance consumer loyalty and expand its market reach.

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