Kennedy issues an ultimatum to food company CEOs
During a private meeting on Monday, the HHS secretary urged attendees to make pledges aimed at decreasing the use of food additives.
TroibNews 
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a clear ultimatum to CEOs of major food companies during a closed-door meeting this week: either ban specific artificial dyes from their products, or the government will take action to do so.
On Monday, Kennedy urged leaders from companies including PepsiCo, General Mills, Tyson Foods, Smucker’s, Kraft Heinz, and Kellogg’s to commit to reducing food additives, as detailed in a readout of the meeting shared with industry stakeholders and seen by PMG. This meeting marked Kennedy’s first significant engagement with the executives he has accused for months of contributing to public health issues.
“[Kennedy] expressed the strong desire and urgent priority of the administration to remove FD&C colors from the food supply — and he wants this done before he leaves office,” said Consumer Brands Association President Melissa Hockstad in the readout, referring to color additives used in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
“He expects ‘real and transformative’ change by ‘getting the worst ingredients out’ of food,” she added, quoting Kennedy.
Kennedy’s statements emphasize his intent to leverage his role to further the Make America Healthy Again agenda he advocated for during his campaign, even if that stance puts him at odds with the influential food industry. While he may need congressional support to effectively ban certain additives and chemicals, lawmakers from both parties have shown readiness to participate in a crackdown on food safety.
Late Monday, Kennedy shared on X that he had a “great discussion … 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.”
Shortly after the meeting, Kennedy announced that he was instructing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate ways to close a loophole that allows food and beverage companies to introduce new ingredients without oversight from the agency.
The FDA has already implemented a ban on Red Dye No. 3, with the prohibition set to take effect in 2027. However, the push to ban this dye was led by Jim Jones, who resigned from his position as deputy commissioner for human foods after the Trump administration dismissed many probationary workers, including FDA staff.
On Tuesday, Kennedy is expected to host a roundtable at the White House with influential figures from the Make America Healthy Again movement, many of whom have called for restrictions on additives and ultra-processed foods, according to three people familiar with the event who requested anonymity due to the meeting not being publicized yet.
HHS opted not to comment on the matter. Food Fix was the first to report on the communication conveyed to industry stakeholders.
Hockstad highlighted in her letter that FDA acting deputy commissioner for human foods Kyle Diamantas, who also attended the meeting, “recognized the industry can’t do this alone and that the FDA will step up and work with us to reinforce the need for a federal framework and avoid state patchworks.”
California has enacted laws prohibiting certain food additives, including Red Dye No. 3 and brominated vegetable oil, while at least a dozen other states, such as West Virginia and New York, are advancing similar legislation.
The meeting also included acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner and HHS Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson, as noted in Hockstad’s email.
Following Monday's discussions, Hockstad sent a separate letter to HHS, expressing gratitude to Kennedy for a “constructive conversation” and highlighting the industry's advancements in reducing “saturated fat, sugar, sodium and certain colors,” according to a copy shared with PMG.
“We will engage with you and the administration on solutions to improve transparency, ensure ingredient evaluations are grounded in a science and risk-based process, and increase healthier options for consumers,” she wrote.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
On Monday, Kennedy urged leaders from companies including PepsiCo, General Mills, Tyson Foods, Smucker’s, Kraft Heinz, and Kellogg’s to commit to reducing food additives, as detailed in a readout of the meeting shared with industry stakeholders and seen by PMG. This meeting marked Kennedy’s first significant engagement with the executives he has accused for months of contributing to public health issues.
“[Kennedy] expressed the strong desire and urgent priority of the administration to remove FD&C colors from the food supply — and he wants this done before he leaves office,” said Consumer Brands Association President Melissa Hockstad in the readout, referring to color additives used in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
“He expects ‘real and transformative’ change by ‘getting the worst ingredients out’ of food,” she added, quoting Kennedy.
Kennedy’s statements emphasize his intent to leverage his role to further the Make America Healthy Again agenda he advocated for during his campaign, even if that stance puts him at odds with the influential food industry. While he may need congressional support to effectively ban certain additives and chemicals, lawmakers from both parties have shown readiness to participate in a crackdown on food safety.
Late Monday, Kennedy shared on X that he had a “great discussion … 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.”
Shortly after the meeting, Kennedy announced that he was instructing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate ways to close a loophole that allows food and beverage companies to introduce new ingredients without oversight from the agency.
The FDA has already implemented a ban on Red Dye No. 3, with the prohibition set to take effect in 2027. However, the push to ban this dye was led by Jim Jones, who resigned from his position as deputy commissioner for human foods after the Trump administration dismissed many probationary workers, including FDA staff.
On Tuesday, Kennedy is expected to host a roundtable at the White House with influential figures from the Make America Healthy Again movement, many of whom have called for restrictions on additives and ultra-processed foods, according to three people familiar with the event who requested anonymity due to the meeting not being publicized yet.
HHS opted not to comment on the matter. Food Fix was the first to report on the communication conveyed to industry stakeholders.
Hockstad highlighted in her letter that FDA acting deputy commissioner for human foods Kyle Diamantas, who also attended the meeting, “recognized the industry can’t do this alone and that the FDA will step up and work with us to reinforce the need for a federal framework and avoid state patchworks.”
California has enacted laws prohibiting certain food additives, including Red Dye No. 3 and brominated vegetable oil, while at least a dozen other states, such as West Virginia and New York, are advancing similar legislation.
The meeting also included acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner and HHS Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson, as noted in Hockstad’s email.
Following Monday's discussions, Hockstad sent a separate letter to HHS, expressing gratitude to Kennedy for a “constructive conversation” and highlighting the industry's advancements in reducing “saturated fat, sugar, sodium and certain colors,” according to a copy shared with PMG.
“We will engage with you and the administration on solutions to improve transparency, ensure ingredient evaluations are grounded in a science and risk-based process, and increase healthier options for consumers,” she wrote.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
