Adrianne DeLuca

Today, attorneys general from 19 states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit in Rhode Island federal court challenging staffing cuts across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Those cuts have reduced the department’s headcount by one-quarter, impacting nearly 20,000 employees over the course of the past three months.

The Trump Administration and its internal MAHA cohort this week celebrated a variety of “accomplishments” spawning from their first 100 days in office. However, just down the street from the White House, at the Institute of Food Technologist (IFT)’s Food Policy Impact conference, the tone was less than celebratory.

Today, Conagra announced the signing of a definitive agreement to divest Chef Boyardee to Hometown Food Company for $600 million in cash.

Just like nearly every other facet of the federal government, the current administration is working to upend business as usual. One of its latest forays includes an effort to review the controversial Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) self-affirmation pathway, overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Earlier this week FDA Commissioner Marty Makary proclaimed the administration’s desire to phase out the use of eight synthetic food dyes by the end of 2026. But is that feasible? We asked the experts.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a new directive this week for food manufacturers to phase out eight synthetic food dyes used in the formulations of thousands of food products.

Kevin Hall, the NIH’s lead researcher on ultraprocessed food (UPFs) , announced an early retirement from the institute last week citing censorship by the administration.

With President Trump pushing to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, even more cracks in the limited, existing systems supporting minority and BIPOC-owned CPG businesses have begun to show.

Entrepreneurs navigate internal crises everyday. But with the economic climate continuing to mount external pressures and political sucker punches flowing from Washington, D.C., identifying obstacles early and understanding the full context has become an essential element for keeping any upstart business alive.

We recently caught up with Kodiak CEO Val Oswalt to learn more about what’s changed since the brand’s acquisition, what’s next and get her take on how CPGs can stay nimble amid shifting consumer and regulatory winds.