Can RFK Jr make America’s diet healthy again?

Robert F Kennedy Jr has set his sights on altering how Individuals eat and drink.

From the dyes in Fruit Loops cereal to seed oils in rooster nuggets, Kennedy – who’s President-elect Trump’s alternative to guide the Division of Well being and Human Providers (DHHS) – has lengthy spoken out towards substances that he says harm Individuals’ well being.

“We’re betraying our youngsters by letting [food] industries poison them,” Kennedy stated at a rally in November, after he had ended his unbiased presidential bid and backed Donald Trump.

But when Kennedy hopes to focus on junk meals, he’ll first should shake up the nation’s meals laws – and run up towards Large Meals.

“What he is suggesting is taking over the meals trade,” stated former New York College vitamin professor Marion Nestle. “Will Trump again him up on that? I’ll consider it after I see it.”

The previous environmental lawyer – who nonetheless should face affirmation by the Senate – is taken into account by many to be a controversial decide, given his historical past of creating baseless well being claims, together with that vaccines may cause autism and that wifi expertise causes most cancers.

But a few of his concepts round reforming the FDA have discovered help from well being consultants, lawmakers and anxious customers alike – together with some Democrats.

Kennedy “will assist make America wholesome once more by shaking up HHS and FDA”, Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis wrote on social media this week, welcoming his nomination. After receiving public backlash for praising him, Polis certified his endorsement, writing on social media that “science should stay THE cornerstone of our nation’s well being coverage”.

Main as much as the election, Kennedy – a former Democrat – provided a number of concepts for tackling continual illnesses beneath his slogan “Make America Wholesome Once more”.

He has often advocated for eliminating ultra-processed meals – merchandise altered to incorporate added fat, starches and sugars, like frozen pizzas, crisps and sugary breakfast cereals, which might be linked to well being issues like most cancers, heart problems and diabetes.

He has taken intention primarily in school lunches, telling Fox Information: “We’ve a era of youngsters who’re swimming round in a poisonous soup proper now.”

A part of Kennedy’s new mandate will embrace overseeing the US Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), which has over 18,000 staff.

The company is accountable for making certain the protection of prescription drugs and the US meals provide, however has come beneath fireplace lately from some lawmakers and shopper teams, who’ve accused it of a scarcity of transparency and motion on meals security.

The 70-year-old has pledged to take a sledgehammer to the company, and fireplace staff he says are a part of a “corrupt system”.

“There are complete departments, just like the vitamin division on the FDA … that should go, that aren’t doing their job,” Kennedy instructed MSNBC this month.

He has additionally pushed for eliminating meals dyes, together with Crimson No. 3, and different components banned in different international locations.

The previous Democrat has additionally singled out extra controversial well being points, together with fluoride in ingesting water, which he says needs to be banned altogether, and uncooked milk, which he believes has well being advantages regardless of the elevated danger of bacterial contamination.

He’s additionally come after seed oils, writing on social media that Individuals are being “unknowingly poisoned” by merchandise like canola and sunflower oil which might be utilized in quick meals.

A number of public well being consultants stand behind Kennedy’s objective to deal with ultra-processed meals, which they are saying the US eats at a lot greater charges than many different international locations.

“It’s simply thrilling to listen to someone argue for doing one thing about continual illness,” Ms Nestle stated.

Kennedy’s intention to do away with sure meals components and dyes additionally may very well be helpful, stated Dr Peter Lurie, govt director for the Middle for Science within the Public Curiosity, a non-profit group that advocates for meals security.

The previous FDA official stated a number of meals dyes, together with Crimson No. 3 – which is banned in California – must also be blocked by the US authorities due to issues about carcinogens.

The FDA has pushed again on Kennedy’s declare that the US permits hundreds of components which might be banned within the European Union. A spokesperson stated it was vital “to dig deeper and perceive the context behind the numbers” when evaluating laws within the US and EU, which use completely different methodologies.

However public well being consultants and former officers stated quite a few Kennedy’s targets weren’t worthwhile – and in some circumstances, dangerous.

As an example, ingesting uncooked milk that has not been pasteurized – a course of that helps kill micro organism – could make folks sick and even kill them, analysis has discovered.

“There is no proof of any dietary advantage of any magnitude that we all know that comes from non-pasteurizing of milk,” stated Dr Lurie.

Kennedy’s proposal to take away fluoride from ingesting water additionally may very well be problematic, as a result of fluoride, within the low ranges present in water, has been confirmed to enhance dental well being, stated Ms Garner.

Eradicating it from the water provide would even be out of his jurisdiction, as a result of fluoride ranges are managed by states.

And his declare that seed oils are serving to drive the weight problems epidemic will not be primarily based in science, both, Dr Lurie stated.

“We see no proof for that. In actual fact, they appear like vital merchandise to the extent that they substitute for saturated fat” reminiscent of butter, he stated.

Meals reforms, whereas lengthy a part of the general public well being dialog, might additionally merely be unrealistic each politically and bureaucratically, some consultants stated.

“It’s an excellent deal extra difficult than he lets on,” stated Dr Lurie. “These are actual challenges, and you’ll encounter trade opposition at each flip.”

For one, the FDA doesn’t have authority over the catch-all of “ultra-processed meals”, a number of former officers instructed the BBC.

As an alternative, they stated, the method is extra difficult. Each the US Division of Agriculture and the FDA regulate the meals trade. The FDA doesn’t make the principles – it carries out insurance policies handed by Congress and works to restrict unhealthy meals by implementing limits and labelling on sure vitamins, like sodium and saturated fats.

Kennedy’s feedback “make for excellent political rhetoric”, Ms Garner stated. “For my part, I don’t see how that may very well be possible with out drastic modifications in different coverage and infrastructure.”

He will even face trade backlash for proposals to ban pesticides and genetically modified organisms generally utilized by American farmers, former FDA officers stated.

“The companies will complain,” stated Rosalie Lijinsky, a former FDA official of 33 years.

The trade is used to restricted oversight from each Democrats and Republicans – together with beneath Trump’s first time period – whereas a lot of Kennedy’s targets would contain much more rulemaking.

A number of meals trade teams met with lawmakers earlier than Kennedy’s appointment this month to foyer towards him, Politico reported final month.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, stated this week that he deliberate to fulfill Kennedy earlier than his affirmation listening to and “spend quite a lot of time educating him about agriculture”.

Kennedy’s place additionally places him at odds with President-elect Trump, a longtime lover of quick meals who labored to roll again stricter well being necessities for college lunches throughout his first time period.

“You get some concepts that make a specific amount of sense, however they’re precisely the type to which this administration is hostile,” Dr Lurie stated.

In an announcement to the BBC, the Meals Business Affiliation, which represents meals retailers, producers and producers, like Normal Mills, stated it seemed ahead to working with Trump’s group to “guarantee meals and drug coverage continues to be grounded in science, to cut back regulatory complexity”.

The trade complaints about Kennedy’s agenda don’t come as a shock, stated Jeff Hutt, a spokesperson for the Make America Wholesome Once more political motion committee, which is urging Republican lawmakers to substantiate Kennedy.

The objective of the well being motion, Mr Hutt stated, is “prioritising the wellness of America over company income”.

“Even when the thought of banning ultra-processed meals will not be potential politically, it is a dialog that we have to have,” he stated.

Kennedy nonetheless might work inside present US regulatory frameworks to enhance America’s meals techniques, former officers stated.

Ms Nestle stated Kennedy might tackle ultra-processed meals by altering the US Dietary Pointers, which set dietary requirements for the trade and federal authorities programmes, together with faculty lunches and army meals.

“They’ve an unlimited influence on the meals trade,” Ms Nestle stated. “That may make a giant distinction.”

The rules are up to date each 5 years by the US Division of Agriculture and DHHS, which has beforehand stated there may be not sufficient proof towards ultra-processed meals.

Nonetheless, officers and vitamin consultants raised issues in regards to the means by which Kennedy has proposed to enact his agenda, together with firing the FDA’s nutritionists.

The transfer would have giant ramifications for meals security, stated Ms Lijinsky. “When you lose your prime consultants, you’re going to have issues,” she stated.

In the end, Ms Garner stated it’s troublesome to disentangle a few of Kennedy’s extra cheap food-improvement targets with the false well being claims he has unfold.

“There’s a possibility right here,” Ms Garner stated.

“However I feel there’s rightful concern primarily based on different points and the way his method to these points may play in right here.”