Ep. 209. Helena Bottemiller Evich: The MAHA Effect on American Food Policy

Helena Bottemiller Evich is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Food Fix. She previously led coverage of food and agriculture at POLITICO for nearly a decade, winning numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious George Polk Award for a series on climate change and two James Beard Awards for features on nutrition and science. In 2022, she was a James Beard Award finalist for a deep dive on diet-related diseases and COVID-19. Helena is also a sought-after speaker and commentator on food issues, appearing on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, NPR, and other outlets. Her work is widely cited in the media and has also been published in the Columbia Journalism Review and on NBC News.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Helena [2:58] about:

• The newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 and their much-debated details, such as their saturated fats advice and focus on "highly processed foods"
• Contention around the undecided definition for "ultra-processed foods" (UPFs), and what the use of "highly processed foods" instead of UPFs in the revised DGAs could imply
• The differences in FDA's structure and its unique challenges today (e.g., facing the 2025 infant botulism outbreak linked to ByHeart formula) versus 2022, during the Cronobacter sakazakii/Abbott Nutrition infant formula crisis and before the establishment of FDA's Human Foods Program
• The rise of "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA), from a grassroots movement to an official White House-backed agenda with bipartisan support, and the implications for the food space
• The question within the Trump Administration of whether MAHA rhetoric will translate into real policy changes that advance MAHA objectives
• Shortcomings of the MAHA approach to food safety policy and regulation, particularly a lack of focus on microbiological safety and inconsistent handling of chemical safety
• Why the MAHA agenda may not succeed with a deregulatory approach and a weakened federal workforce and resources
• How the Trump Administration's moves in 2026 may determine if MAHA will remain in the forefront of public discussion, moving forward.

News and Resources

Eat Real Food: New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Name and Shame 'Highly Processed Foods'

Food Fix

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