US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will meet with senior leaders of the processed foods industrial complex to discuss potential topics ranging from banning seed oils and certain food additives to nutrition labels as the “Make America Healthy Again” revolution begins.
Politico reports that RFK Jr. will meet with senior leadership of General Mills, PepsiCo, and others within the ‘Big Food’ industry on Monday. The report cites four people familiar with the meeting but stresses that the attendee list could still change.
RFK Jr. is America’s best chance at rolling back the ultra-processed food and food additives industry, one of the main drivers for the obesity crisis—an alarming national security threat. He has publicly accused the industry of harming Americans’ health and highlighted the dangers of processed foods and seed oils.
During a Senate confirmation hearing in January, RFK Jr. told lawmakers:
“Something is poisoning the American people, and we know that the primary culprits are changing food supply, a switch to highly chemical-intensive processed foods.”
“When my uncle was president, only 3% of America was obese. Today, it’s over 70%. Epidemics are not caused by genes. Genes may provide the vulnerability, but you need an environmental toxin.
Something is poisoning the American people.” pic.twitter.com/bllEPEX8nL
— Natalie Jean Beisner (@NJBeisner) January 30, 2025
A source familiar with the upcoming meeting said it was advised by the White House, which has urged Cabinet officials to speak with key industry leaders under their oversight.
More from the report:
The meeting was first floated among industry players in February and was initiated by the Consumer Brands Association, which represents packaged food companies, alcoholic beverage companies and others, according to another one of the people familiar with the details. But as of Friday, the attendees had yet to agree on a meeting agenda, a dispute that is dividing CBA’s board and could potentially muck up the meeting.
“There is major concern that [CBA is] going to agree, as major industry players, to things that eliminate science from the FDA,” the person said. The person also speculated that it’s “entirely possible the CEOs fall over themselves to agree to whatever MAHA asks them to do.”
Our reporting has outlined potential pathways RFK Jr. and MAHA may take to reform the nation’s food supply chain, improve public health, and prevent agency capture at top food and health agencies from happening again:
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The meeting will mark the first sit-down between the new health secretary and representatives from the processed foods industrial complex.
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