In May, Kennedy said the health harms caused by processed foods would become a “central focus” of the agencies under his purview, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The MAHA Commission Report, which was found to cite nonexistent research studies and misrepresent the results of others, also put ultra-processed foods front and center.

The request is likely to draw criticism for its emphasis on “how Americans can take personal responsibility for their health” at a time when the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are attempting to cut funds for healthcare and food assistance for low-income Americans. The administration has also slashed funds for research and bringing whole, healthy foods from local farms into schools and food banks. In April, the country’s leading ultra-processed foods researcher left NIH after he said HHS wanted him to tweak messaging to fit Kennedy’s preconceived narrative on processed foods.

The request for proposals also tells contractors the campaign should “popularize technology like wearables as cool, modern tools for measuring diet impact and taking control of your own health.” That directive is likely to draw scrutiny, given MAHA star Casey Means, Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, is the co-founder of Levels Health, a company that sells wearable glucose monitors (along with an associated subscription). (Link to this post.)