RFK Jr. rips into food companies during meeting, swears to clean up food supply
THE DETAILS …
In his first meeting with top executives from food companies, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, bluntly told them that a top priority would be eliminating artificial dyes from the nation’s food supply.
Kennedy Jr. held a closed-door meeting with PepsiCo, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, W.K. Kellogg, Tyson Foods, and The J.M. Smucker Company. The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., was facilitated by the Consumer Brands Association, a trade group representing the food and beverage industry, and was described as a roundtable discussion aimed at advancing Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda.
The primary focus of the meeting was Kennedy’s push to eliminate artificial dyes from the U.S. food supply, a priority he framed as urgent and transformative. He emphasized that removing synthetic color additives, such as Red Dye No. 40 and Yellow No. 5, was a top goal of the Trump administration, and he reportedly gave the industry an ultimatum: proactively remove these dyes from their products before the end of his term, or face government intervention. Kennedy highlighted the health risks associated with these additives, including links to hyperactivity, behavioral issues in children, and potential carcinogenic effects, criticisms that have been echoed by health advocates for years. He also pointed out that many of these companies already use natural alternatives, like blueberry extract, in products sold in countries with stricter regulations, such as Canada and European nations.
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Beyond artificial dyes, Kennedy signaled broader reforms, including revising the FDA’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) policy, which allows companies to self-certify the safety of new food ingredients without regulatory review. The meeting included key FDA and HHS officials, such as acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner and HHS Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson, underscoring its high stakes. The Consumer Brands Association, in a letter from its president, Melissa Hockstad, described the discussion as “constructive” and expressed the industry’s willingness to engage further, though it also highlighted concerns about maintaining a science-based approach and avoiding a patchwork of state-level regulations. The meeting has sparked significant attention, with some health advocates praising Kennedy’s aggressive stance, while others, including industry leaders, brace for potential economic and logistical challenges in reformulating products.