What is the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) strategy?

The MAHA strategy is an initiative by the Trump administration to improve the health of Americans, with a focus on reducing the use of artificial additives and ingredients in ultraprocessed foods.

How does former FDA Commissioner David Kessler's petition challenge the MAHA strategy?

Kessler's petition argues that the FDA should remove the "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) status for certain food additives, which could force companies to remove or reformulate their ultraprocessed products.

What impact could Kessler's petition have on the US food industry?

Experts say Kessler's proposal, if enacted, would reshape the food industry by taking away the tools manufacturers use to make their products highly addictive and flavorful, potentially leading to significant changes in the products available to consumers.

Home / Health / Ex-FDA Head Pushes to Restrict Additives in Ultraprocessed Foods

Ex-FDA Head Pushes to Restrict Additives in Ultraprocessed Foods

8 Aug

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Summary

Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler petitions agency to remove "generally recognized as safe" status for certain food additives
Proposed changes could force food companies to remove or reformulate products
Kessler's move seen as a bold step to reshape the US food industry

Ex-FDA Head Pushes to Restrict Additives in Ultraprocessed Foods

As of August 8th, 2025, the former head of the US Food and Drug Administration, Dr. David Kessler, has taken a significant step to test the Trump administration's commitment to its "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) initiative. Kessler, who served as FDA commissioner under Presidents Clinton and Bush, has filed a petition challenging the agency's current regulations on food additives.

In his petition, Kessler argues that the FDA has the authority to declare certain sweeteners, refined flours, and other additives as not "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS). Removing this GRAS designation would force manufacturers of ultraprocessed foods to either remove these ingredients from their products or attempt to prove they are not harmful. This could lead to sweeping changes across the food industry, a stark contrast to the current MAHA strategy, which has relied on voluntary actions by major food brands.

Experts have praised Kessler's move as a bold and brilliant step that could significantly reshape the US food landscape. Nutrition researcher Dr. Walter Willett called it "an important proposal that is based on the true meaning of GRAS," while former FDA official Michael Taylor said Kessler has "handed RFK Jr a huge gift on the path to regulating these products."

The petition comes as the Trump administration prepares to release its second MAHA report, which is expected to outline proposed policy changes. Kessler's challenge could put pressure on this process and potentially accelerate the timeline for new regulations on ultraprocessed foods.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.