Kraft Heinz split may come too late to fend off growing MAHA threat

By Jessica DiNapoli

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Kraft Heinz’s announcement this month that it would split was a belated acknowledgment that the Velveeta cheese and Heinz ketchup maker had missed consumers’ years-long shift away from processed foods, a trend that is now accelerating under a new push from the federal government and states including California.

But, its plan to carve itself into two companies — one focused on faster-growing sauces and condiments, one on groceries — may not be enough to revive its brands, according to former employees, consultants and Wall Street analysts.

The rise of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who blames artificial ingredients for chronic childhood diseases like diabetes and obesity, poses a