Coca-Cola just announced it will soon launch a new version of its flagship product that replaces the usual high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar. Food giants like Kraft Heinz and General Mills have promised to remove synthetic dyes from some of their products. And fast-food chain Steak ‘n Shake now cooks its fries in beef tallow rather than seed oils.
All of these moves in the food industry have one thing in common — they align with recommendations from the Make America Healthy Again movement, led by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Scientists argue that cane sugar and beef tallow offer no measurable health benefits over corn syrup and vegetable oil, but do they taste better? In this video, STAT’s Alex Hogan samples some MAHA-approved snacks and speaks with reporter Sarah Todd, who wrote about what nutrition experts think of these recent reformulations, in our latest episode of STATus Report.