ARE PROCESSED FOOD TITANS MAKING AMERICA SICK? Reese’s Heir Sparks MAHA Firestorm Over Ultra-Processed Ingredients

“I Threw It in the Garbage”

Brad Reese says he opened a bag of seasonal Reese’s candies, took a bite, checked the ingredients — and tossed it.

He claims what he found wasn’t the simple formula his grandfather built the brand on.

Instead of traditional milk chocolate and peanut butter, he alleges certain products used alternative coatings and peanut-butter-style crèmes made with vegetable oils and processed fats.

Hershey maintains its iconic Peanut Butter Cups remain unchanged and says adjustments apply to expanded product variations.

Fine.

But that’s not the real issue.

The real issue is this:

Why are so many American foods no longer made with the ingredients they once were?

The Ultra-Processed America Problem

Step back from one brand.

Look at the grocery store.

Bright packaging.
Long ingredient lists.
Words you can’t pronounce.

Ultra-processed foods now dominate the American diet. Numerous health researchers have linked heavy consumption of highly processed foods to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and heart disease.

Correlation is not conspiracy.

But the trend is undeniable.

America is sicker than it was 50 years ago.

And our food supply looks very different than it did 50 years ago.

When Cost Cutting Meets Chemistry

Cocoa prices surge.
Input costs rise.
Margins shrink.

Corporate boards react.

Sometimes that means reformulation — swapping traditional ingredients for cheaper alternatives that are shelf-stable, mass-produced, and easier to scale.

That doesn’t automatically make a product unsafe.

But it does raise serious questions.

Are we prioritizing convenience over nutrition?
Shelf life over substance?
Quarterly profits over long-term health?

That’s the MAHA question.

It’s Not Just Candy

Reese’s is symbolic.

But this is bigger than chocolate.

Seed oils replaced traditional fats.
Artificial additives replaced simple ingredients.
“Food products” replaced real food.

Meanwhile:

• Childhood obesity has surged.
• Type 2 diabetes is appearing earlier in life.
• Chronic disease consumes trillions in healthcare spending.

Americans are not crazy to connect dots.

They’re asking whether an ultra-processed food system built for scale and profit has drifted too far from real nourishment.

That’s not radical.

That’s rational.

The Trust Breakdown

When legacy brands quietly expand into reformulated variations, people feel uneasy.

Not because they expect candy to be health food.

But because they expect honesty.

If the ingredient list changes, say it plainly.

If formulations differ, be transparent.

Americans don’t want to be treated like passive consumers.

They want to be informed citizens.

And right now, trust in Big Food is eroding — just like trust in government and media.

Make America Healthy Again Means Raising Standards

MAHA isn’t about banning everything.

It’s about standards.

It’s about asking why the American food supply is so heavily engineered.
It’s about demanding clearer labeling.
It’s about encouraging whole foods over ultra-processed substitutes.

It’s about restoring integrity.

Corporate executives aren’t villains by default.

But when cost pressure leads to cheaper formulations in a country already drowning in chronic illness, people are going to push back.

And they should.

The Bigger Battle

This isn’t a war on one company.

It’s a wake-up call about an entire system.

A system where:

• Food is engineered for maximum shelf life.
• Additives multiply.
• Ingredient lists grow longer.
• Health outcomes worsen.

Americans deserve better.

They deserve food made with simplicity, clarity, and care — not just chemistry and cost optimization.

If we truly want to Make America Healthy Again, we have to question the incentives driving our food industry.

And that conversation is just getting started.

Stay Informed. Stay Vigilant.

The forces shaping your grocery aisle are the same forces shaping your economy and your institutions.

Corporate incentives matter.
Regulatory policy matters.
Cultural standards matter.

If you want deeper analysis on the economic and institutional battles reshaping America — from food to finance — join the Inner Circle today.

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