Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told top executives of major food processing companies in a closed-door meeting that he wants them to remove artificial dyes from their products.
“Great discussion today with @ConsumerBrands CEOs of @KraftHeinzCo @GeneralMills @TysonFoods @KelloggsUS @smuckers and @PepsiCo on advancing food safety and radical transparency to protect the health of all Americans, especially our children. We will strengthen consumer trust by getting toxins out of our food. Let’s Make America Healthy Again,” RFK Jr. said.
Great discussion today with @ConsumerBrands CEOs of @KraftHeinzCo @GeneralMills @TysonFoods @KelloggsUS @smuckers and @PepsiCo on advancing food safety and radical transparency to protect the health of all Americans, especially our children. We will strengthen consumer trust by… pic.twitter.com/6gEv1ch1rb
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) March 10, 2025
“For far too long, ingredient manufacturers and sponsors have exploited a loophole that has allowed new ingredients and chemicals, often with unknown safety data, to be introduced into the U.S. food supply without notification to the @FDA or the public. Eliminating the GRAS loophole will provide transparency to consumers, help get our nation’s food supply back on track by ensuring that ingredients being introduced into foods are safe, and ultimately Make America Healthy Again,” he added.
For far too long, ingredient manufacturers and sponsors have exploited a loophole that has allowed new ingredients and chemicals, often with unknown safety data, to be introduced into the U.S. food supply without notification to the @FDA or the public. Eliminating the GRAS…
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) March 11, 2025
Fortune reports:
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called on top executives from Kraft Heinz Co., General Mills Inc. and other food companies to remove artificial dyes before the end of his term.
“Kennedy expects ‘real and transformative’ change by ‘getting the worst ingredients out’ of food,” according to an email sent by the Consumer Brands Association to its members, viewed by Bloomberg News, that described the meeting.
US food stocks fell on Tuesday, with many outpacing the decline of the S&P 500 Index amid a broader selloff. General Mills stock slipped as much as 3.9%, while Hershey Co. shares fell as much as 3.3%.
Health advocates have said for years that synthetic colors add no taste or nutritional value but make unhealthy foods more visually appealing. There are also concerns that the dyes may be carcinogenic or trigger hyperactivity in some children.
The health secretary told executives it’s his priority that dyes are removed from food “before he leaves office,” according to the memo, sent by Melissa Hockstad, the chief executive officer of the CBA. He also “made clear his intention to take action unless the industry is willing to be proactive with solutions.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told food industry leaders in a closed-door meeting he wants them to remove artificial color dyes from their products by the end of his time as health secretary, according to a memo obtained by ABC News. https://t.co/wk76cTZK3e
— ABC News (@ABC) March 11, 2025
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. met with top executives from Kraft Heinz, General Mills and other food companies and requested they remove artificial dyes before the end of his term https://t.co/DmUhDsqLhk
— Bloomberg (@business) March 11, 2025
Per ABC News:
Kennedy has long championed removing artificial coloring from America’s food, and the effort has become a pillar of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
In January, the Food and Drug Administration revoked its authorization of one type of red food dye — Red No. 3. The dye is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals but was allowed to be used by manufacturers for years because scientists didn’t believe it raised cancer risk in humans at the level typically consumed.
The FDA, under then-President Joe Biden, acted after longtime pressure by consumer advocates.
But a different type, Red No. 40, remains on the market and hasn’t been studied by the FDA in more than 20 years. FDA and health officials said there is no evidence though that it is harmful, and food manufacturers said they need to be able to rely on ingredients generally recognized as safe.
In the memo, Hockstad said her association will work with HHS leaders about removing “roadblocks” so food companies can help meet Kennedy’s goal.
