CHICAGO, August 18, 2025 — IFMA The Food Away from Home Association launched a new benefit for members: A roundup of regulatory developments affecting the food-away-from-home business, including policy changes that are part of the Administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. The report is compiled and written by Dr. Joy Dubost, a renowned food scientist and registered dietitian with strong knowledge of what’s happening on the regulatory front.


MAHA UPDATES

Delay of Release of MAHA Commission Second Report 
The second report from the MAHA Commission, which is to provide the MAHA strategy on addressing childhood obesity and chronic diseases by revamping the country’s food supply, was to be released this week. Per the executive order of the President the report was to be sent to the President by August 12th. According to press officials from the White House it will take more time to coordinate the schedules of HHS and other officials to release the report to the public. However, an official at HHS has publicly stated, “The team at the White House and HHS is ensuring that whatever is in the report is the best possible product for the American people. If they need more time, they need more time.” Given the first report released in May had errors particularly with citations those closest to the report have noted, “The goal is just to get the damn thing right.” In addition, according to preliminary reports there will not be any major surprises as it will continue to focus on the strategy of HHS Secretary Kennedy including securing voluntary commitments from companies, updating the Dietary Guidelines to be less “scientific dogma”, reforming the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) process, developing a regulatory definition of ultra-processed foods and limiting purchases of sugar laden products with SNAP benefits. A NYT article has noted the industry may be able to breathe a sigh of relief as it appears the report will not place restrictions on ultra-processed foods and pesticides. In addition, the White House has noted it will avoid banning pesticides after the first MAHA Commission report criticized and linked the use of herbicides glyphosate and atrazine to poor health conditions. Finally, according to the draft report the government may pursue limiting marketing of unhealthy foods directly to children by developing guidelines. The report is expected to be released in the coming weeks.


FEDERAL UPDATE

CDC
A newly published report from the National Center of Health Statistics, a division of the CDC on ultra-processed food (UPF) highlights that 55% of total calories come from UPFs. Ultra-processed foods tend to be hyperpalatable, energy-dense, low in dietary fiber, and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners, and unhealthy fats. Youth (under 19 years old) consumed more UPFs (61.9%) compared to adults (53.0%). The main sources of UPF calories were sandwiches (including burgers), sweet bakery products, savory snacks, and sweetened beverages. This new data brings attention to the ongoing focus on reducing consumption of UPF by MAHA and other federal agencies. Link for more information.


OTHER NOTABLE NEWS
AHA
The American Heart Association (AHA) released a science advisory reviewing current evidence on ultra-processed foods (UPF) and their impact on cardiometabolic health. The advisory noted, “the main problem is that children and adults in the United States eat excessive amounts of nutritionally poor UPFs.” Although the authors acknowledged industrial additives are concerning, it recommends reducing UPFs, especially “junk foods”, and replacing them with healthier options like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, and lean proteins. The report stated not all UPFs are harmful, but the focus should be on cutting back those high in unhealthy fats, added sugars, and salt.

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
A call for data has been published for the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) 102nd meeting. The meeting will be dedicated to the evaluation or re-evaluation of food additives. The deadline for data submission is December 31, 2025. Given the ongoing regulatory focus on U.S. GRAS reform and Secretary Kennedy believing the EU has a robust ingredient safety assessment for the allowance of additives in the food supply, the outcome of this committee will be one to watch closely.

 

 

Stay informed with our new page tracking key federal and state policies impacting food-away-from-home. Get timely updates on issues like ultra-processed food definitions and submit feedback to ensure our industry’s voice is heard.

Regulatory & Legislative Developments