Click above to hear the radio edit. Click below to hear the longer version.

Is bacon an ultra-processed food? Some people would say yes, but Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has stated that when he does eat breakfast–he typically skips breakfast as part of intermittent fasting–but when he does, he likes bacon with his eggs. But chips, sodas, packaged breads, chicken nuggets (which Kennedy has called ‘poison’) and a wide variety of other foods Americans eat daily may make the government’s list of ultra-processed foods that Kennedy would like to see limited or eliminated.

In the audio clips above, Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder and editor-in-chief of FoodFix and who previously led food coverage at Politico, tells WGN’s Steve Alexander about the government’s efforts to define UPFs. “There’s a big debate about how to define these. Maybe some ultra-processed foods are good for us but there’s a lot of research that shows the higher consumption of ultra-processed foods associates with poor health outcomes like diabetes and heart disease.” She adds that the government’s updated dietary guidelines coming out this fall will likely tell Americans to consume less UPFs.

The food industry is paying close attention and its D.C. lobbyists are no doubt busy trying to get their opinions heard by the decision makers because, in Illinois alone, where many of the biggest food processors are located, thousands of jobs and billions of dollars may be at stake.

“That’s why everyone is watching this so closely. They’re trying to figure out what the government is going to do and how to prepare for it. We are in a Republican administration. Usually, Republican administrations don’t like to regulate, they try to be more deregulatory, and so we’re waiting to see what Make Ameriica Healthy Again, what this movement looks like in a Republican administration. What we are seeing is the states [being] pretty aggressive [against UPFs]. Texas has a warning label law that would actually require certain foods that contain additives to have a front-of-pack warning on them. We’re seeing West Virginia ban all synthetic food dyes as of 2028. The food companies are, in particular, watching what the states are doing because it’s a lot harder to control what happens and now we’re seeing this patchwork [of standards] get created, and there are economic impacts to that, no question.”

You can read more about Helena Bottemiller Evich’s reporting on food and the food industry at FoodFix.co. “You can get on my email list, I have a weekly newsletter. I have a lot of food policy insiders and industry people and, also, a lot of consumers.”

Meanwhile, MAHA is making life uncertain for American corn growers

Nearly every segment of our food industry is watching to see whether their interests are going to be compromised by MAHA. Even Midwest corn growers feel they may be in the crosshairs of the Make America Healthy Again initiative. The following is a release from the Illinois Corn Growers Association and the National Corn Growers Association:

In a new survey, American corn growers say they would face higher costs and reductions in crop yields if they were to lose access to key herbicides like atrazine and glyphosate. The survey comes after the Make America Healthy Again Commission released its preliminary report questioning the safety of the two herbicides.

The survey findings reveal high stakes for the MAHA Commission’s next report, a set of policy recommendations expected to be released in August, which could impact a key constituency in President Trump’s base. The crop protection tools in question have been thoroughly tested by the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory bodies and shown to be safe for their intended uses.

“These results are in line with what I am hearing in conversations among farmers,” said Illinois farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr. “We are concerned that claims about herbicides in the pending MAHA recommendations could remove access to the tools we need to safely and sustainably produce a crop.”

Hartman added that growers hope the president will intervene and ensure that the MAHA Commission follows the science and defers to the EPA on matters related to pesticide policy and regulation.

The survey, which was sponsored by NCGA, included responses from more than 1,000 farmers and was conducted between June 17 and July 2, following the release of MAHA’s initial assessment, which mentioned glyphosate and atrazine.

Respondents indicated overwhelmingly – 85% – that weeds are the top pest plaguing their crops and that atrazine and glyphosate were their top two herbicides of choice.

The MAHA Commission, a priority of Health and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was formed in February through a presidential executive order. The commission released its initial assessment in May. That assessment was challenged by corn grower leaders for questioning decades of science proving glyphosate and atrazine to be safe and effective.

NCGA has spent months sounding the alarms about the MAHA Commission’s focus on herbicides. The group has said that if the pesticides in the initial assessment were to disappear completely, crop yields could decrease by more than 70% due to pests, weeds and disease.

Herbicides and pesticides, including glyphosate and atrazine have been tested extensively. Before these products are approved for use, companies must submit dozens, if not hundreds, of test results for EPA review and consideration, including tests examining potential effects on child development, dietary exposure, and long-term toxicity. The EPA’s reviews, required by law, are repeated at least every 15 years, or sooner if new data becomes available.

“Given that the EPA’s robust regulatory process has found these products to be safe when used according to label directions, there is no reason to suggest that they are harmful,” Hartman noted. “Doing so will come at a great cost to farmers and rural America.”

The Business of Food can be heard on Mondays and Fridays at 7:38 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., and at 6:38 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. on WGN Radio.

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