Proposed Overhaul of Children’s Health Policy

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Leaked MAHA Report Proposes Overhaul of Children’s Health Policy

by: Food and Drug Law at Keller and Heckman of Keller and Heckman LLP - The Daily Intake

Monday, August 25, 2025

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A leaked draft of the White House’s “Making Our Children Healthy Again Strategy,” issued by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission outlines a sweeping federal plan to combat childhood chronic disease. Spearheaded by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the report prioritizes reducing ultra-processed foods, chemical exposure, screen time, and reassessing vaccine safety.
The initiative builds on President Trump’s Executive Order 14212, which established the MAHA Commission. The Commission’s initial report, released on May 22, attributed rising rates of childhood chronic illness to processed diets, chemical exposure, sedentary lifestyles, chronic stress, and overmedicalization.
Key proposals in the latest draft report include:
- Creating a National Institutes of Health (NIH) MAHA Chronic Disease Task Force and coordinating efforts with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Developing a framework to assess cumulative chemical exposure and establish New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).
- Studying food and lifestyle interventions through programs at HHS, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and USDA.
- Expanding NIH’s nutrition research in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USDA, and the newly proposed Administration for a Healthy America (AHA).
- Utilizing the new FDA-NIH joint nutrition regulatory science program.
The report also emphasizes a series of policy reforms, including:
- Updating the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs).
- Phasing out synthetic food dyes and accelerating FDA review of natural color additives.
- Applying new standards to federal nutrition programs, including school lunches.
- Defining ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and revising FDA’s Front-of-Pack labeling rule.
- Modernizing infant formula nutrient standards.
- Issuing joint guidelines from HHS and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to limit unhealthy food marketing to children.
- A major structural change includes reorganizing HHS to create the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) which would lead the federal response to chronic disease.
Additionally, the report highlights reforming the GRAS process, stating, “FDA will update regulations to reform the ‘Generally Recognized as Safe’ (GRAS) designation, within the scope of statutory authority, to ensure that all new food additives, meet applicable safety standards with increased transparency.”
Public health experts have raised concerns about the report’s potential to erode trust in vaccines and sideline evidence-based medicine. As this is a leaked draft, the final version is expected in the coming weeks.