Food & Nutrition

Trump Signs EO to Establish the Make America Healthy Again Commission

President Trump signed an executive order (EO) to establish the Make America Healthy Again Commission. The Commission will be led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed HHS Secretary, and include agency leaders from across the federal government, including USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the FDA Commissioner, and Directors of the CDC and NIH, who are all awaiting confirmation. The Commission's primary objective is to investigate and address the root causes of America's escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases. In the next six months, the Commission will undertake a “Make our Children Healthy Again Assessment” of the causes of childhood obesity and, from this, create a "Make our Children Healthy Again Strategy” to tackle the crisis. According to Politico, the Senate MAHA Caucus is also readying a suite of potential legislation to support the Administration’s focus on this effort.

Senate Confirms RFK Jr. and Brooke Rollins as HHS and USDA Secretaries 

This week, ​the Senate voted 52-48 to confirm the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) to serve as HHS Secretary. Shortly following, the Senate voted 72-28 to confirm the nomination of Brooke Rollins to serve as USDA Secretary. Under these positions, RFK Jr. and Rollins will have oversight over the majority of the nation’s food, extending to key food policy areas including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, food labeling, school meal standards, ingredient safety reviews, and food safety standards. RFK Jr. has also been a vocal advocate and champion of the “Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement and is anticipated to prioritize tackling nutrition-related chronic disease in his work at HHS. During Rollins' welcome ceremony, she also supported MAHA, noting that the “Make America Great Again” movement and USDA will work together on ‘a common mission’ and ‘defend American agriculture at the table.’

Tufts Food is Medicine Institute Launches National Network of Excellence

The Tufts University Food is Medicine Institute and Kaiser Permanente announced the launch of the new Food is Medicine National Network of Excellence (NOE). The Network’s mission is to develop and share best practices in Food is Medicine to improve well-being, equity, and efficiency in health care. The Network will also pursue three interconnected priorities, including to (1) develop frameworks to assess the impact of Food is Medicine interventions, measuring health outcomes and cost effectiveness; (2) share insights and identify opportunities to optimize program design and delivery; and (3) promote the effectiveness of Food is Medicine through industry engagement and communication with policymakers and the public.

Food Safety

South Dakota Signs Cell-Cultivated Meat Labeling Bill Into Law

South Dakota signed into law a bill that will require food products made with cell-cultivated meat to display a prominent label with the words “cell-cultured” or “lab-grown” adjacent to the name of the food on the label. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2025. The state is also considering similar legislation that would prohibit cultivated meat in the state, as well as prohibit state funding for cultivated meat research. South Dakota joins a growing number of states taking action on this issue, in which states such as Florida and Alabama enacted laws prohibiting cell-cultured meat products. Meanwhile, Iowa most recently signed into law legislation requiring cell-cultured food products to be labeled with words “fake,” “lab-grown,” “meatless,” “immigration,” or “vegan,” starting on July 1, 2024.

Global

Portugal Promotes 'Low-Carbon Diet' Under New National Energy and Climate Plan

Portugal released the country's updated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP 2030), becoming the first EU country to specifically promote a ‘low-carbon diet’ as part of its national strategy. The Plan seeks to promote a diversified diet that includes reducing the consumption of animal proteins and promoting the consumption of plant-based protein alternatives. The Plan also states that the strategy should include (1) concrete measures to encourage the production and consumption of plant protein, including leguminous crops, as an integrative approach to ensure protein crop self-sufficiency and food sovereignty; (2) measures to promote the training and strengthening of the supply of plant-based meals in public canteens; and 3) promote dissemination campaigns about the benefits of plant protein consumption.

Fun Fact: The first recorded recipe for a sandwich was in 1762.