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A University of Pennsylvania survey found that 73% of U.S. adults supported, on average, six policies associated with the Make America Healthy Again movement. Support crossed political and movement lines: 80% favored labeling ultraprocessed foods, and 31% of respondents who did not support MAHA ranked that measure among their top three priorities.
A University of Pennsylvania survey found broad support among U.S. adults for food policies associated with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, even among people who do not identify with the movement. On average, 73% supported six policies related to regulating food chemicals and additives, while 80% favored labeling ultraprocessed foods.
The survey was conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center and asked U.S. adults to rank 17 issues on the MAHA agenda, spanning food policy and vaccine regulation. Across all respondents, regulating chemical additives in food ranked as the leading priority. Removing highly processed foods from school lunches also ranked near the top among MAHA supporters, nonsupporters and people unsure about the movement.
Support for the six food-related policy measures averaged 83% among MAHA supporters and 73% among people who did not support MAHA. The report says about a quarter of Americans described themselves as MAHA supporters, suggesting that approval of specific food policies reaches beyond those who identify with the broader movement.
Ultraprocessed food labeling received the highest support of the six measures, at 80% overall. The policy also stood out among non-MAHA supporters: 31% ranked it among their top three priorities. That figure describes respondents’ rankings, not the share of all Americans who support labeling.
Food Rules Reach Beyond MAHA
The findings point to a distinction between support for a political movement and support for particular policies it promotes. Food labeling and additive rules may retain public backing even if MAHA’s political coalition changes or weakens, although a survey cannot show whether lawmakers will enact those measures.
For consumers, labeling could provide more information about how foods are classified and what they contain. For food companies, new rules could prompt changes to labels, ingredients or products. A separate University of Chicago study cited in the report estimated that a mandatory ultraprocessed-food label could cost the industry $14 billion annually, including $9.5 billion for reformulation. Those are estimates from that study, not costs established by the Pennsylvania survey or a policy already in force.
The issue has also drawn activity outside national party politics. The report describes states across the political spectrum advancing measures involving food additives and ingredient disclosures, while Democrats in Congress have pushed legislation concerning additives and ultraprocessed foods. The survey adds evidence that these proposals may resonate with voters who do not identify with MAHA.
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Pressure for an FDA Definition
The survey arrives as the federal government faces calls to define “ultraprocessed” foods. The report says the Food and Drug Administration has delayed an interpretation of the term. A federal definition could provide a basis for future labeling requirements or other regulation, but it would not by itself establish that such rules have been adopted.
Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Cory Booker have introduced legislation that would require the FDA to define ultraprocessed foods. More than 100 nutrition and medical experts also signed an open letter to the Office of Management and Budget urging the administration to release its delayed definition, according to the report.
Survey analyst Laura A. Gibson said the findings call for distinguishing views of MAHA from views of individual policies. “Many people who say they don’t support the movement nonetheless share its concerns about additives, chemicals, and highly processed foods,” she said in a statement. The survey records stated preferences; it does not establish why respondents hold them or predict how they will vote.
Policy Support Is Not Passage
The survey results do not show whether Congress, federal agencies or state governments will adopt the policies respondents favored. The supplied report does not give the survey’s sample size, field dates, question wording or margin of error, limiting how precisely the percentages can be evaluated from the available information.
It is also unclear when the FDA will issue its definition of ultraprocessed foods or what criteria that definition would use. Until the term is defined, the scope of any future labeling requirement remains unsettled. The survey measures expressed preferences, not consumer purchasing behavior, and the reported industry-cost estimate comes from a separate University of Chicago study.
FDA Definition Remains Pending
The next key development is whether the FDA releases a definition of ultraprocessed foods and what approach it takes. The report identifies pressure from lawmakers and a letter signed by more than 100 nutrition and medical experts, but it provides no confirmed release date.
Readers can also watch for legislative action on food additives and labeling at the federal and state levels. Any proposed rule or bill would need to specify which foods or ingredients are covered and how requirements would work. Until those details emerge, the survey offers a measure of public support—not a forecast of enacted policy.
Key Questions
What did the University of Pennsylvania survey find?
The Annenberg Public Policy Center survey found that respondents supported an average of six food-related MAHA policies at a rate of 73%. Support averaged 83% among MAHA supporters and 73% among nonsupporters.
How many respondents supported labels for ultraprocessed foods?
80% of all respondents favored labeling ultraprocessed foods, the highest level of support among the six food-related policies described in the report.
Does the survey show that most Americans support MAHA?
No. The report says about a quarter of Americans identified as MAHA supporters. Its finding is that support for specific food policies, including additive regulation and labeling, extends beyond people who support the movement.
Has the FDA defined ultraprocessed foods?
Not according to the supplied report, which says the FDA has delayed its interpretation. The timing and criteria for a federal definition remain unclear.
Does the survey mean new food-labeling rules are coming?
No. The survey measures public preferences; it does not establish that a law or regulation will be adopted. Federal and state proposals, along with any FDA action, remain subject to further developments.
Source: fooddive.com
