What MAHA's dietary guidelines mean for US food and agribusiness

The new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – influenced by the Make America Healthy Again movement – signal a major shift toward minimally processed, whole foods with stricter limits on added sugars and refined carbohydrates. While dairy and animal-based proteins and fats stand to benefit from the more favorable recommendations, sugar, refined grains, and processed meats face headwinds. The guidelines also reinforce fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as dietary staples in an overall push for products typically located in the perimeter of grocery stores, not center aisles.

The guidelines may directly influence institutional food purchases and influence public perception, though the near-term impact on consumer spending is uncertain. If paired with additional government programs and incentives, they could trigger long-term changes in agricultural production and food supply chains.

Affordability and access to fresh foods remain key challenges to the guidelines' broad implementation, especially with reduced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding and rising food costs. Effective change to the American diet will depend on collaboration between government, industry, and consumers to balance health priorities with cost and convenience. Food processors had already been innovating to reformulate products and make greater health claims, aimed at defending category relevance and capturing price premiums. The new guidelines will reinforce these ongoing efforts.