MAHA report on children’s health highlights harms of ultraprocessed foods – a food scientist explains the research

On May 22, 2025, the White House released a new report highlighting what it claims are the causes of chronic disease in children.

The report fleshes out many of the themes that have emerged as priorities for the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement promoted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

One major area of focus is the negative health effects of ultraprocessed foods. The report points to the prevalence of ultraprocessed foods in the American…