Upon the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of Health, numerous professionals in public health expressed profound concern. Known for his previous environmental law career and often controversial views, Kennedy has pushed back against the corporate world and espoused unconventional beliefs including vaccine skepticism and a bias against fluoride in water. He’s an avid supporter of raw milk consumption and encourages cooking with rendered fat over vegetable oil. Despite his contentious stances and frequent criticisms of conventional healthcare, parts of the public health sector have been surprisingly receptive to his efforts. Many anticipate that Kennedy’s laser focus on examining the links between America’s diet and chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity could put previously overlooked policies in the public eye.
A vociferous critic of processed foods, sugar, and artificial food colorants, Kennedy sets his targets firmly on the mammoth U.S. food industry, worth $2.4 trillion. According to Kennedy, a significant part of the industry’s profits is stacked up at the expense of public health. Notably, the Health Secretary, originating from a prominent Democratic family himself, switched to endorsing Donald Trump for the presidency after his own campaign stumbled. Embracing the Make America Great Again (MAGA) mantra, Kennedy revamped it to a health-centered slogan – ‘make America healthy again.’ His coinage struck a chord with many, birthing the ‘Make America Healthy Again Commission,’ chaired by Kennedy.
On May 22, the commission unveiled its inaugural report detailing the alarming rise of chronic illnesses like diabetes and obesity among children and made a direct connection to unhealthy American dietary practices. Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins are working together to revamp the prevailing U.S. dietary guidelines, aiming to have the upgraded policies in place by early autumn. These reformulated guidelines are likely to take a stringent stance against added sugars, a quantum shift from the current allowance of under 10% of the total daily energy consumption. Kennedy openly criticizes the existing guidance as a coy product of the food processing industry.
His audacious approach to the food policy reform has left many, including food policy stalwarts, in awe. Marion Nestle, one of the leading food industry and dietary experts in the U.S., admits that although he has eccentric views on many subjects, he is remarkably on point when discussing chronic diseases and childhood obesity. Nestle finds Kennedy’s candid discussion of these topics at such significant government levels refreshing and thrilling. On the other hand, the food and beverage industry, initially taken aback, is gradually gearing up to counter Kennedy, especially as he backs Republican measures to restrict food assistance beneficiaries from purchasing sugary snacks and drinks.
Some raise concerns that the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda is being guided more by a motley crew of social media influencers and ‘MAHA moms’ rather than civil servants or qualified experts. These critics often fault the commission’s approach for veering towards popular conjecture rather than being grounded on scientific evidence. Jerold Mande, a past civil servant at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a professor in nutrition at Harvard, voices concern over the discernability of the administration’s principles. The Department of Health and Human Services did not issue any comments on these concerns.
Among Kennedy’s initial challenges in his role as the Health Secretary was synthetic food colorants. Last month, he, along with his deputies, announced plans to phase out eight synthetic dyes in a lively press conference. While the previous administration under Joe Biden did not completely overlook the dye issue (the FDA banned synthetic Red 3 dye from food and drinks in January), Kennedy’s approach to the subject is far more sweeping. His allies in the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ initiative refer to these substances as the ‘petroleum-based food dyes.’
In March, Kennedy conveyed to food industry leaders that removing artificial colorants from America’s food and beverage products was among his main goals. He further expressed his expectation for significant and transformative changes, primarily to rid food items of the worst ingredients. Kennedy’s movements at the federal level resonate with state-level legislative actions. West Virginia’s House of Delegates, for instance, introduced a bill in February to prohibit seven artificial food colorants due to their disputed correlation with hyperactivity and autism.
Adam Burkhammer, the Republican lead sponsor of the proposed legislation, began taking dye warnings seriously after experiencing first-hand the positive impact on his foster child’s hyperactivity and attention span following the removal of dyes from his diet. Burkhammer recounts the dramatic transformation as turning from conspiracy theory into reality. Upon successfully getting the bill signed by West Virginia’s Republican Governor, Patrick Morrisey, the state received commendation and a personal visit from Kennedy himself. At least 20 other states are contemplating similar measures to tackle artificial dyes and food additives according to statistics from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The food industry is coming to terms with the growing regulatory pressures, previously a trademark of ‘blue’ states, gaining traction in traditionally ‘red’ states. Consumer Brands Association’s Sarah Gallo points out that these issues are no longer strictly affiliated with coastal democratic states. With ‘Make America Healthy Again’ forming an integral part of the Trump administration’s philosophy, these policies are no longer geographically or politically restricted. Calley Means, one of Kennedy’s chief advisors and a previous lobbyist, asserts that Trump was given the mandate by voters to reverse the chronic disease crisis, urging industry to take this seriously.
While the impending ban on synthetic food dyes is definite by 2026, as confirmed by Means, how fast Kennedy’s rhetoric will translate into stringent regulations is still up in the air. Some companies have already started responding positively to Kennedy’s demands, like PepsiCo, whose CEO, Ramon Laguarta, announced plans to change formulations to be free of artificial colours by year-end for some products. Analyst Alexia Howard believes that while the transition may be a bit rough, such changes could increase consumer trust in the packaged food segment.
Yet while Kennedy’s challenge to unhealthy food and drinks scares the industry, they are more frightened at the Republican push to withdraw such products from subsidised federal food schemes. In 2024, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) served over 40 million people at a cost exceeding $100 billion, making it a significant revenue source for the industry. According to the USDA, nearly a fifth of this expense goes towards the purchase of junk food and fizzy drinks. Some Democrats, however, see a Snap reform as unduly harsh and discriminative against Americans reliant on welfare for sustenance.
Despite industry pushback and opposition from parts of the Democratic party, states are getting federal backing to implement reforms. Countries are moving forward with Kennedy’s broader attack on ‘petroleum-based food dyes,’ and the agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, has approved waiver requests to allow Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa to exclude fizzy drinks and junk food from Snap expenses, with plans to give approval to six other states.
Meanwhile, amidst all this political commotion, the growing influence of the MAHA movement is becoming apparent. This diverse group of wellness gurus, health podcasters, and diet and fitness influencers, benefiting from broad partisan support, attempts to combat what they see as harmful profit-driven practices of the pharmaceutical and food industries. Applying preventative approaches to manage chronic illnesses like obesity, the movement has created a robust narrative that resonates with Republican circles and transcends party lines.
Marion Nestle cautions, however, against Kennedy’s sometimes anecdotal approach to substantiating health claims. The health secretary has a history of promoting the widely discredited theory that the MMR vaccine causes autism. Recent measles outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to falling vaccination rates, highlighting the potential dangers of such views.
Despite the controversy, President Trump seems pleased with the advances made so far. At the release of the MAHA commission report, Trump commended Kennedy for his relentless efforts to highlight these issues in American politics and for building an ‘unstoppable coalition.’ He declared it to be just the beginning.