The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement has rapidly emerged as a defining force in US food policy, bringing heightened scrutiny to food ingredients, processing methods and regulatory frameworks. While much of the initial focus has been on human food, MAHA-driven actions around artificial colors, the potential elimination of self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredients and the evolving debate over ultra-processed foods (UPFs) represent a convergence of regulatory, reputational and formulation challenges for pet food manufacturers.