FDA's food agenda, one year in with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary

The FDA is nearly a year into its MAHA era. The rhetoric has been bold — food dyes, ultra-processed foods, infant formula, GRAS reform. But what's actually happened? And what might still be coming? Helena got down to brass tacks with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary during a fireside chat on stage at the National Food Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.Commissioner Makary came into this role as a surgical oncologist and researcher who spent decades at Johns Hopkins — and who had already written extensively about food and nutrition before taking the job (unusual for an FDA commissioner).In this conversation, they cover a lot of ground: the plan to phase out synthetic food dyes, the coming definition for ultra-processed foods, the overhaul of infant formula standards, GRAS reform, and what front-of-pack labeling might actually look like under this administration.Highlights:– Makary sees the food side of FDA as one of the biggest opportunities of his tenure; he thinks it's been under-appreciated for years– The plan to phase out petroleum-based synthetic food dyes– FDA's coming definition for ultra-processed foods, expected by April or May, and how it might factor into labeling– Rethinking front-of-pack labeling: why this administration isn't planning to just move forward with the Biden-era proposal– Overhauling the infant formula monograph for the first time in decades– GRAS reform: where the proposed rule stands and what Makary says about FDA's authority to close the loophole– How AI is being used to speed up scientific reviews and help target inspectionsWhere to find Commissioner Makary:Dr. Makary’s website@DrMakaryFDA on XMentioned in this episode:Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health by Marty MakaryStay in touch:Sign up for Helena’s must-read weekly newsletter: Food Fix.Follow American Dish on Instagram and YouTube.Send ideas and feedback to [email protected] out Forked, the food politics podcast Helena co-hosts with the Food & Environment Reporting Network.Credits: This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz. Original music by David Bottemiller.