In a time of increasing complexity across the food system, the emergence of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement is generating both enthusiasm and confusion. It’s a message that, on the surface, most people can rally behind. Who wouldn’t want a healthier America? But when we look deeper, it becomes clear that different groups of consumers interpret MAHA in dramatically different ways. For food system leaders, this distinction matters.

At The Center for Food Integrity (CFI), we recently conducted consumer research using a methodology called predictive anthropology. Rather than relying on standard self-reporting surveys, this method digs deeper, uncovering the beliefs, values, fears and motivations that drive consumer behavior. This research revealed five consumer segments, two of which are particularly important to reach: the Authenticity Seeker or the Comfort Seeker.

The Authenticity Seeker: Give Me Transparency or Give Me Doubt

Authenticity Seekers make up 14% of the population, but they account for 18% of the digital conversation – punching well above their weight in online influence. These are the voices many others listen to when they want to understand what’s real and what’s noise.

For Authenticity Seekers, MAHA resonates because it aligns with issues they’ve long championed: reclaiming health through food, challenging corporate control and removing artificial ingredients. But that support is not unconditional. They don’t trust slogans. They want live transparency – real stories from real people: farmers, chefs, small retailers. They want to see the food system through the eyes of the people who live and work in it every day.

Their skepticism becomes more pronounced when they see political overtones creep into the MAHA message. The blurring of MAHA and MAGA – whether accidental or intentional – raises red flags. If the conversation loses its focus on food integrity and starts to look like partisan posturing, Authenticity Seekers are quick to disengage.

This group is college-educated, often working in creative or mission-driven fields like journalism, nonprofits or education. They tend to live in urban or rural settings and they’re predominantly, though not exclusively, white and female.

What matters most to them is that food is more than sustenance – it’s central to wellness. They’ve been advocating for cleaner food and fewer processed ingredients long before MAHA entered the national spotlight. But if the movement becomes too polished, corporate or politically charged, these early adopters will move on.

The Comfort Seeker: Just Help Me Make Better Choices

At the other end of the spectrum is the Comfort Seeker, making up 43% of the population and 27% of the conversation. While not as loud online, this is the mainstream. They are the heartbeat of American food culture.

Comfort Seekers aren’t rejecting the modern food system. In fact, they rely on it. What they want is reassurance that they can continue to feed their families affordable, familiar meals without sacrificing health. They’re drawn to MAHA’s push for simpler ingredients and safer products, but only if the message remains calm, practical and apolitical.

They are more ethnically diverse, 21% Hispanic, more likely to be parents and more likely to live in the suburbs or rural areas. This group skews toward those with high school or technical education. They work in skilled trades and blue-collar jobs. Importantly, they place high value on government guidance and labels like “USDA approved” or “FDA certified” matter deeply to them. If trust in these agencies wavers, so does their sense of security.

As Kevin Ryan of Malachite Strategy and Research pointed out on a recent episode of CFI’s 3Squares Live! podcast, taste and reliability are non-negotiable for this group.

“I cannot create something for my family that gets thrown away,” he said. “Health has always mattered, but it has to taste good and it can’t break the budget.”

That’s a critical insight. While Authenticity Seekers want transformation, Comfort Seekers want support. They’re looking for a guide, not a revolution. And they’re increasingly wary of being preached to by those who don’t understand their lives or financial realities.

Implications for the Food System

What does all this mean for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and the broader food system?

First, it means that one-size-fits-all messaging around health and food reform simply won’t work. The Authenticity Seeker is turned off by top-down marketing and craves grassroots engagement. The Comfort Seeker wants clear, reassuring guidance from trusted sources. If those sources are familiar TV personalities or long-standing brands, all the better.

Second, it means we may be heading into an era where safety and quality must be reasserted as brand benefits.     

As Kevin noted, as government regulations and standards shift, companies may need to be more vocal about their internal safety protocols. Consumers who once assumed “safe” as a baseline may now need reassurance that what they’re buying is not only healthy but also trustworthy.

Finally, we must be cautious about how we talk about reform. If MAHA becomes synonymous with fear or confusion, both of these consumer groups will disengage. The Authenticity Seeker will call it out as inauthentic and he Comfort Seeker will retreat to brands and habits they already know.

Charting a Path Forward

The good news is that both of these groups, while different, share a common aspiration: they want to make healthier choices for themselves and their families. The key difference lies in how they define “healthy” and who they trust to help them get there.

For food companies, farmers, policymakers and communicators, the opportunity is to meet each group where they are. For Authenticity Seekers, that means lifting the curtain: spotlighting real people, real practices and real tradeoffs. For Comfort Seekers, that means offering guidance with warmth, clarity and consistency.

MAHA’s long-term impact will depend on our ability to listen before we speak and to lead with empathy, not ideology.

So, where do you go from here?

We’re happy to help you put our consumer research to work – targeting the right audiences, building evidence-based messaging, executing engagement strategies, equipping your team for action and tracking your progress.  Learn more about CFI’s Truth Defined Research.