How the MAHA Movement Could Affect the Hospitality Industry

 
"Make America Healthy Again” is a catchphrase that’s easy to remember. But what’s harder to say is how the movement  will impact real restaurants in Michigan. Maggie Gentile, a partner at Food Directions LLC and expert in food policy, has been monitoring the MAHA movement, a health-conscious trend that picked up steam on social media and gained serious legitimacy with the rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new leader of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.  
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There’s many ways to unpack MAHA, according to Gentile. The core belief of MAHA is that corporate culture has driven a health crisis in America, Gentile explains.

“Everyone has the same goal in terms of wanting to make America healthier. We all want to be part of that solution,” says Gentile on the MRLA's What's with the Pineapple podcast. But with the movement motivating dozens of proposed laws in over 30 states and even further action at the federal level, it’s poised to impact food policy in ways that can affect businesses in Michigan and across the country.  
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What do foodservice operators need to know about the MAHA movement's impacts on food policy?  
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1. Processed Foods are a Prime Target. Proponents of the MAHA movement are vocal about the harmful effects of processed foods on American health and have long opposed the prevalence of fast-food options. On May 22, the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released a federal assessment, the “Make American Healthy Again” report, and pointed to “ultra processed foods” as one of the causes of chronic diseases.  
   
   
2. Seed Oils are Could Require Disclosures. While at this point there is little indication that seed oils will be outrightly banned, many MAHA leaders have raised concern about seed oils.  Seed oils include kinds that are commonly used in restaurants and foodservice operations, such as canola, corn, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, peanut, and soybean oil. Gentile says there is hardly any evidence to suggest that seed oils are unhealthy, but she notes that the Senate Health and Human Services Committee has compiled a bill that would require disclosure of seed oils. Restaurants would be required to display a sign or other disclosure statement revealing that their business uses seed oil.
   
   “It’s challenging for the restaurant industry because people have different issues with different ingredients and certainly have foods that they are trying to avoid or trying to encourage based on dietary preferences. But once we start going down this path of calling out individual ingredients, that kind of slippery slope gets really challenging," says Gentile. 
   
   
3. Bans in One State Can Affect All States. It’s not just Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who is making MAHA changes to food policy. States have taken up the initiative, and many individual state legislatures have introduced bills inspired by MAHA. Gentile said 80 MAHA bills have been put forward in nearly 30 states. What passes in one state can have big consequences for the other states, however.
   
   “Supply chains work across state lines, so if you ban something in one state food companies essentially need to it out entirely because they’re not able to send things to just one state," Gentile explains. This means that food policy changes don’t have to be enacted at the federal level to affect your business.  ​
   
   
4. Listening to Consumers is Still Key. At its heart, the hospitality industry is focused on creating delightful experiences for people, and restaurant owners have always had to listen to their guests and curate their services based on changing consumer preferences. Whether the Make America Healthy Again movement represents another short-term food fad or a major inflection point changing the way Americans approach dining and diet, restaurants are known for being flexible and staying adaptable. With the MAHA movement, as with all trends and political changes, restaurants will simply have to stay attuned to what guests value.  
   
   
5. ​Showing Communities Your Restaurant Prioritizes Health is Possible. There are plenty of ways that restaurants can signal to parents, community members, and other guests that health is a foundation of your business without transforming your operations model. Being transparent about ingredients is one implementable way. Restaurants can also be conscious of portion sizes, incorporate more fruits and vegetables into dishes, and choose locally sourced foods. Gentile also encourages restaurants to look into the Kids Live Well program by the National Restaurant Association, a free resource to develop health-conscious kid's menus. “Things like that can really promote to your local community that you are on the side of parents and you are doing your part to make your community healthier. " ​​

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For more information about the current landscape of food policy, tune into the full conversation with Maggie Gentile on “What’s With the Pineapple” podcast. An informal but thought-provoking approach to news-sharing, this podcast is is about what's happening in Michigan's hospitality industry. 

Learn more about What's With the Pineapple?, the landmark podcast from the MRLA. 

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