What MAHA’s crusade against seed oils reveals about flaws in America’s food system
The Make America Healthy Again movement has a lot of the food industry on edge. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies have made concerns about the health effects of ultra-processed foods a government priority, putting titans like PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, and Nestlé on the defensive.
But for a smaller contingent of food companies with products that align with MAHA’s vision of what a healthy diet looks like — from organic produce to emulsifier-free chocolates — things are looking up. The U.S. government and the American public are becoming increasingly wary of lengthy ingredient labels and the synthetic dyes lurking in foods like Skittles. Companies like the $1.5 billion salad chain Sweetgreen, vegan meal company Daily Harvest, and organic online grocer Thrive Market are ready for the moment.
This rising class of power players is intertwined, sharing health-conscious reputations and also personal and professional ties with some of the MAHA movement’s most prominent leaders, such as surgeon general nominee Casey Means, Kennedy’s special adviser Calley Means, and Kennedy’s longtime friend and Function Health founder Mark Hyman.
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