CHICAGO, September 5, 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.
FEDERAL UPDATES
Kennedy vs. CDC
Following Kennedy’s decision to fire the CDC Director and other federal employees, nine former CDC Directors published an op-ed in the New York Times expressing their concerns about the impact of these actions on public health. They highlighted the CDC’s accomplishments over recent decades but noted that the agency, in their view, has been significantly weakened by Kennedy’s decisions. The former directors called upon several groups—including Congress, state and local governments, philanthropic organizations, the private sector, and medical professionals—to take action in support of public health by investing in communities and providing clear guidance to patients.
In addition to this public statement, other stakeholders also voiced their concerns. Shortly after the op-ed appeared, more than 1,000 current and former HHS employees set up a website and sent a letter to Kennedy and members of Congress urging the Secretary to resign, citing what they described as an ongoing threat to public health. HHS responded by denying these accusations.
Ahead of a scheduled appearance before the Senate Finance Committee, Kennedy published an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal in which he stated that his agency is “restoring public trust in the CDC.” He also released a video prior to the hearing, where he addressed criticism of his recent actions and discussed his views on public trust in the CDC, outlining his plans to address what he characterized as internal challenges and stating that “effectiveness will be the watch word of our leadership” moving forward.
On September 4th, the Senate hearing lasted over three hours and was, at times, highly contentious, with raised voices and accusations exchanged between Kennedy and members of both parties, including three Republicans who had previously supported him, as well as Democrats. During the hearing, Kennedy explained that the firings at the CDC were, in his view, “absolutely necessary to restore the agency to its role as the world’s gold standard public health agency.” The impact of this hearing and the related actions is expected to become clearer in the coming weeks. In the meantime, President Trump and Vice President Vance continue to publicly support Kennedy.
United Agenda
The Trump Administration released the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. This report is semiannual providing information on regulations being developed by federal agencies, including FDA and USDA impacting nutrition labeling, school meals, SNAP, WIC, and food safety and inspection with projected timelines for proposed actions both in the short and long term. Below are some notable regulatory actions with proposed dates. For a full list visit the link.
FDA Regulatory Items
Substances Generally Recognized as Safe - Proposed Rule - 10/2025. Abstract: This proposed rule, if finalized, would amend the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) regulations in 21 CFR parts 170 and 570 to require the mandatory submission of GRAS notices for the use of human and animal food substances that are purported to be GRAS. Food substances include both ingredients and substances added indirectly (such as from food packing). Food substances that are listed or affirmed as GRAS for the intended use by regulation, or for which FDA has already issued a no questions letter” on its GRAS notice inventory, would be exempted. The proposed rule would clarify that FDA maintain and update a public-facing GRAS notice inventory for all substances that are the subject of mandatory GRAS notice for its conditions of intended use. The proposed rule would also clarify the process under which FDA would determine that a substance is not GRAS.
Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling - Final Rule - 5/2026. Abstract: This rule, if finalized, would require the front of food labels to display certain nutrition information to help consumers, including those who are busy and those with lower nutrition knowledge, make more informed dietary choices. Front-of-package nutrition labeling is intended to complement the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods by giving consumers additional context to help them quickly and easily identify foods that can help them build a healthy eating pattern. This rule would also amend certain nutrient content claim regulations to align with current nutrition science and ensure consistency in labeling.
USDA
Reorganization
USDA has extended the public comment period for its reorganization plan to Sept. 30th, which was previously due on Auguust 30th providing additional time for input on the restructuring initiative.
Farm Bill Update
The House Ag Committee will be drafting a farm bill package with the goal of moving it out of the committee by end of month. The hope is to have the bill pass before end of year particularly given this is considered a “skinny” bill given some of the policies were addressed in the “big, beautiful bill.” Regardless, there are policies that will need to be updated including animal welfare and pesticides provisions.
Select USDA Regulatory Items
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