The Make America Healthy Again movement has a new focus heading into the midterm elections, shifting from vaccine policy to nutrition. Now, that shift in policy is trickling down into the food and retail industries.
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2025, he coined the MAHA movement, focusing on issues like vaccines and medications. In recent months, however, his focus has shifted from medicine to nutrition.
Now, that refocus is popping up at retailers and, most recently, in fast-food restaurants.
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Hospitality, retail industries join MAHA
In the final days of former President Joe Biden’s term, the Food and Drug Administration outlawed the use of Red No. 3, a common food dye that some have associated with chronic illness. When Trump took office a few days later, RFK and the MAHA movement took action.
Their focus on limiting or eliminating chemical dyes, along with an FDA ruling, prompted many retailers and manufacturers to remove certain color additives from their products.
Major companies like Nestle, Hershey and PepsiCo have gotten on board, promising changes to their recipes and products.
Now, the MAHA movement’s agenda seems to be trickling down even more, into the restaurant industry.
On Tuesday, Steak ‘n Shake announced it had hired its first “Chief MAHA Officer.” In a post on X, the fast-food chain said the new role is “dedicated to advancing nutritional integrity, ingredient transparency, and the healthiness of our products.”
The question becomes whether other restaurants and fast-food chains also make the change?
Other nutrition-focused changes
In addition to its focus on added chemicals, MAHA took aim at medical schools, announcing that 53 institutions will require doctors to receive 40 hours of nutrition education before graduating.
Meanwhile, HHS announced a new set of dietary guidelines intended to promote healthy eating habits and reduce the need for medications and disease diagnoses.
The guidelines advocated greater consumption of red meat and claimed to end a “war” on saturated fats. The main theme: “eat real foods.”
The “eat real foods” stance is similar to Steak n’ Shake’s goal. In a post on X, the company said the goal of their new MAHA officer is to “restore the original spirit of American fast food: food that is simple, real, and delicious.”
