Steak n Shake goes full MAHA
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Steak n Shake — the chain that proudly cooks its french fries in "100% beef tallow" — has just named a chief "Make America Healthy Again" officer.
Why it matters: It's the latest sign of how Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s movement is influencing major food brands.
- Others have removed artificial dyes and taken other steps to sync with the health secretary's efforts to reshape the American diet, but the burger-and-shake chain is the first to explicitly make them part of its corporate structure.
Driving the news: The role will be filled by Michael Boes, most recently a senior advisor within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health and one of the developers of the recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- The new guidelines emphasize animal proteins and full fat dairy, while steering consumers away from processed foods.
- Boes will "lead a comprehensive review of the company's ingredient sourcing, nutritional standards, and preparation practices," Steak n Shake said.
Our thought bubble: This isn't your typical fast food salad and smoothies health pivot, but a bet on a different vision of what "healthy" will look like.
Last year, the company switched to frying its french fries, onion rings and chicken tenders in beef tallow, part of a broader, MAHA-stoked backlash against seed oils.
- Steak n Shake has about 400 locations, mostly in Florida and the Midwest.
