The food industry plans to engage with the incoming Trump administration by presenting itself as an ally on some “Make America Healthy Again” ideals like nutrition transparency and improving health outcomes.
But the industry is also hoping the new administration will take an incentive-based approach, rather than imposing new regulations. The industry also is preparing to highlight its economic impact in conversations with the new administration.
President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The department includes the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates about 80% of the U.S. food supply.
Since joining the Trump campaign and transition team, Kennedy has promoted the MAHA agenda, focusing on the prevalence of chronic disease in the U.S. and the role he and allies such as health entrepreneur and author Calley Mean says the food industry plays in making Americans less healthy.
Specifically, Kennedy has been critical of ultraprocessed foods, seed oils, food chemicals and additives and more, arguing these ingredients are partially responsible for public health issues.
Food industry advocates say it's still too early to tell what specific food policies could come from the Trump administration, and exactly how much of a focus there will be on food. During conversations with the new administration, one industry lobbyist said it will be important to ensure food is not labeled as the primary reason for negative health outcomes.
Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of federal affairs at the Consumer Brands Association, asserted that the food and beverage industry has been a trusted brand among consumers. She said the industry is ready to partner with the incoming Trump administration and Congress to advance key policies.
As more information comes out about the incoming administration’s priorities, Gallo said she sees conversations happening in the current administration on nutrition, consumer transparency and ingredient safety carrying over.
“Those are all places where our industry has a really good story to tell, and we look forward to working with the new administration, just as we have with the current administration,” Gallo said.
Sarah Gallo CBA, whose members include food giants General Mills, Nestlé and PepsiCo, will continue engaging with the new administration on transparency in nutrition labeling.
Recently, FDA submitted a long-awaited proposed rule on front-of-pack labeling to the Office of Management and Budget. The details of the proposal are not yet available, but the regulation was a key pillar of the Biden administration’s 2022 National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
Food and nutrition groups have said that based on Kennedy’s previous remarks, he’s likely to support labeling requirements and other nutrition rules, but they doubt these ideas would survive in a Trump White House.
Additionally, CBA anticipates that food chemical safety will be an important topic under the new administration, and plans to continue engaging on this issue.
Under its current leadership, FDA has focused on revisiting how it conducts pre and post-market assessments for food ingredients. CBA has participated in public conversations on this issue. While Gallo said she couldn’t speculate on what the next administration will specifically focus on immediately, she is prepared to continue those discussions.
Advisers to Kennedy are considering significantly changing rules on food additives, particularly regulations on those considered “generally recognized as safe” by the FDA, CBS News reported.
Means, a key name in the MAHA movement and adviser to Kennedy, has also been publicly critical of GRAS, recently calling it “a totally rigged system” during an appearance on The Liz Wheeler Show.
Gallo said she sees the transition as an opportunity to meet with the new administration, particularly those leading HHS and FDA, and explain what the industry has done to meet consumer demand, and steps the industry is taking to help Americans have access to healthy dietary patterns.
“We're really focused on just making sure that those leaders understand how we show up to that conversation around health and wellness and what industry is doing to meet consumers where they are,” Gallo said.
Steve Presley, CEO of Nestlé's North America business, recently echoed this sentiment and told Reuters at the company’s capital markets day for investors that he is “less concerned” with Kennedy’s previous comments on the industry. Instead, he said there is room for collaboration.
“If you step back from some of the emotional issues, what he believes in is more regenerative, cleaner agriculture, which we fully believe in,” Presley said.
The key part of future conversations with the new administration will be ensuring there are no unintended consequences from pursuing these goals, one industry lobbyist said. These could include more prescriptive regulations such as exist in the European Union.
Groups advocating for food and packaged goods are likely to tout the economic impacts from these industries when shaping policy or engaging with the new administration.
Recently, CBA released the U.S. Consumer Packaged Goods Industry’s Economic Role report. It found that 22.3 million jobs are supported by the consumer packaged goods industry, which makes up 10.5% of total national employment. This equates to $1.5 trillion in salaries, wages and benefits, according to the report.
The study breaks down the economic impacts of the industry, including jobs, income and GDP contribution by state and congressional district.
Gallo said the analysis shows just how consequential the food and beverage industry is, a point the new administration needs to understand.
Each nominee still needs to go through a Senate confirmation process. Some senators representing ag-heavy states like Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, have indicated they intend to meet with Kennedy and ask for clarification on some of his previous comments about food and agriculture.
An industry lobbyist said senators' questions to the nominees on their policy priorities will likely be shaped by constituent feedback.
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