One of the most surprising aspects of President Donald Trump’s second term in office thus far has been his commitment to the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) platform championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Now that the second Trump administration has been in place for more than 200 days, MAHA supporters and advocates are touting a host of milestones and additive bans that have already been achieved, as Breitbart reports, and are looking ahead to what is yet to come.
Several key accomplishments already notched by RFK and HHS can be seen in the changes to which food industry giants have agreed, adjustments that span cooking practices as well as additives.
Fast food notable Steak & Shake pledged to banish seed oils and begin preparing its offerings with beef tallow, a health-conscious shift lauded by Kennedy and his supporters.
Iconic West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger promised to eliminate Red Dye 40, Yellow 5, and artificial flavorings from its products, marking another sea change in fast food.
Other household names that appear ready and willing to get on board the MAHA train include PepsiCo, McCormick, Kraft, Nestle, Heinz, Conagra, Tyson, Hershey, and General Mills, all of which have committed to the elimination -- or at least reduction -- of their use of synthetic dyes in their product lines.
In a push to encourage healthier eating among impoverished communities, the Trump administration, with the help of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, has authorized waivers for a growing number of states to ban the use of food stamps for the purchase of junk foods and sodas.
Kennedy, who has had a decades-long interest in vaccine safety, made headlines last week when it was announced that HHS would be initiating a “coordinated wind-down” of its mRNA vaccine development activities.
The push is set to include the “cancellation and de-scoping of various contracts and solicitations” which had been undertaken pursuant to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
According to HHS, the decision “follows a comprehensive review of mRNA-related investments initiated during the COVID-19 public health emergency.”
Kennedy explained, “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.”
He continued, “We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”
Though critics such as former Surgeon General Jerome Adams have blasted the mRNA funding decision in particular and suggested that “people are going to die” as a result, the administration stands firm in trumpeting the MAHA achievements tallied to date.
White House spokesperson Liz Huston declared last week, “In its first 200 days, the administration has delivered on the president’s pledge by restoring Gold Standard Science at HHS,” adding her belief that “the best is yet to come – the administration is committed to doubling down and continuing to transform American good, health care, and science to Make America Healthy Again,” a focus for which millions are assuredly grateful.
