The public release of the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) strategy will be delayed for several weeks, according to sources familiar with the matter.
While President Donald Trump’s MAHA Commission is set to submit its report to the White House on Tuesday, meeting its executive-ordered deadline, scheduling conflicts will postpone its public unveiling.
“The report is on track to be delivered to the White House by August 12,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. “The report will be unveiled to the public shortly thereafter as we coordinate the schedules of the President and the various cabinet members who are a part of the Commission.”
Officials are now aiming to launch the strategy by the end of August.
The commission’s first report, issued in May, argued that ultra-processed foods, pharmaceutical prescriptions, and environmental toxins are driving a national crisis of chronic childhood disease. The findings largely echoed the long-held positions of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who chairs the commission.
This second installment is expected to propose specific reforms to tackle those issues. According to the president’s executive order, actions could include ending federal practices that “exacerbate the health crisis” and “adding powerful new solutions.”
Public health experts, industry advocates, and supporters of the MAHA initiative have been awaiting the recommendations and their scope.
Agricultural groups have expressed unease since the first report highlighted studies linking commonly used pesticides to illnesses such as cancer and liver problems. The American Farm Bureau Federation labeled these “unproven theories” and warned that questioning pesticide safety could undermine public confidence in the food supply. In response, federal health and agricultural officials have sought to reassure farmers. This month, a high-ranking Environmental Protection Agency official told a sugar industry conference that agencies would “respect” the current regulatory framework, as reported by DTN Progressive Farmer.
The federal approach to ultra-processed foods is another potential battleground. Kennedy has led a public campaign urging major food brands to voluntarily remove artificial additives and dyes. However, nutrition advocates and a former US Food and Drug Administration chief have pushed for stricter regulations, with the latter recently challenging the agency to effectively remove ultra-processed foods from the market by outlawing certain ingredients.
Skepticism remains about whether the administration will pursue drastic measures.
“We need policies to change big food and the food system, so it produces healthier foods,” said Jim Krieger, executive director of Healthy Food America, in a Monday news briefing. “Will [the MAHA commission] move beyond PR efforts, voluntary agreements and handshakes — none of which have really worked to improve the food system in the past — and suggest regulatory action with real teeth?”
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