Robert F Kennedy Junior, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, issued an ultimatum to major food manufacturers: strip their products of artificial dyes before the end of his term or face unknown consequences.
RFK Jr, a long-time crusader for dye- and additive-free foods, said that if Kraft Heinz Co., General Mills Inc., and other food companies fail to comply, the government will ‘take action’ against the companies.
Artificial dyes have been linked to ADHD-like symptoms in children, particularly hyperactivity, as well as cancer in animals.
Mr Kennedy’s remarks were shared in an internal memo sent by Melissa Hockstad, the chief executive officer of the Consumer Brands Association, to its members.
The CBA is a trade organization that represents the consumer packaged goods industry in the US, including those companies called out by RFK Jr, advocating for policies and regulations that support food companies.
Ms Hockstad quoted RFK Jr in the memo, saying: ‘He expects “real and transformative” change by “getting the worst ingredients out” of food.’
The health secretary’s campaign to eliminate artificial food dyes is a key component of his Make America Healthy Again initiative, which has earned significant grassroots support. At the same time, food companies’ shares plummeted on Tuesday with many falling more sharply than the S&P 500 during a broader downturn.
RFK Jr, a longtime advocate for dye- and additive-free foods, warned that if Kraft Heinz, General Mills, and other companies don’t comply, the government will ‘take action.’ However, he did not specify what that would entail or what authority he would have after leaving office
Mr Kennedy’s MAHA movement puts him at odds with behemoth food companies and the influential food lobby.
General Mills saw its stock price fall from about $65 on Monday to about $60 by midday-Wednesday. Kraft Heinz, meanwhile, saw its stock price fall from roughly $31 at Monday’s end to just over $30 on Wednesday.
Smucker’s saw a decline from $114 to $111, while PepsiCo share prices fell from $152 to $148.
He posted late Monday on X that he had ‘a great discussion’ with CBA and those major food manufacturers, as well as Smuckers and Pepsi Co, ‘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.’
Ditching dyes has been a core tenet of RFK’s advocacy work for years before he made it his mission as a top government official.
With the promise of RFK’s appointment as head of the department that oversees the FDA, food manufacturers quickly expressed their willingness to work out a plan for phasing out dyes.
General Mills Inc said in a statement in November: ‘Because this is always an evolving space, we work in close partnership with policymakers on this issue.
‘We will engage with federal regulators as they consider any additional changes they may propose.’
Kellogg, meanwhile, said it would work with lawmakers and officials ‘across the political spectrum’ about ways to comply.
Red 40, also known as Allura red, is in several popular candies, sodas and chips – including Doritos, Skittles, and Pepsi – as well as baked goods and cake mix
Any deal will likely prove costly to General Mills and other major corporations, which rely on brightly colored dyes to make popular products like Trix cereal and soft drinks.
However, refusing to comply or dragging their feet could also prove costly, depending on what ‘action’ the government is prepared to take and the public’s interest in newly formulated dye-free foods.
In California, Gov Gavin Newsom signed a landmark law that outlawed Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 from the meals, drinks, and snacks served at schools statewide.
Several other states are working on similar legislation, including Virginia, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and New York, receiving bipartisan support.
Several food dyes are either banned or contain warning labels in Europe, where food and drug regulators have more oversight than the FDA.
Unlike European regulators, who proactively review ingredient lists and formulations before products reach store shelves, US regulators tend to take a more reactive approach.
Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 are mainstays in sweets and cereals in the US. The dyes are believed to exacerbate attentional problems in children, which led EU regulators to mandate that product makers included that warning on their labels
The FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) designation, formalized in the 1990s, established a self-reporting system that allows companies to determine ingredient safety based on the conclusions of a scientific panel.
RFK Jr has the GRAS designation in his crosshairs, hoping to eliminate it altogether.
He has previously said: ‘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 this loophole will provide transparency to consumers and help get our nation’s food supply back on track by ensuring that ingredients being introduced into foods are safe.’
