RFK Jr. set for uncomfortable meeting with food companies
The discussion is open on a wide range of topics, including seed oils, the banning of specific food additives, and front-of-pack nutrition labels.
TroibNews 
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to meet with senior executives from several prominent food brands on Monday, marking the initial encounter between the new Health and Human Services secretary and the companies he has publicly claimed are detrimental to American health.
Leaders from General Mills and PepsiCo are anticipated to take part in the discussions with Kennedy, according to four individuals familiar with the arrangements, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the details. They noted that the list of attendees may still change.
Kennedy was prompted to engage with the food executives at the request of the White House, which has urged Cabinet officials to connect with key representatives from the sectors they oversee, as indicated by one of the sources.
This meeting signifies a critical moment for an industry that has long been a focal point for Kennedy and his Make America Healthy Again movement. He has accused major food corporations of worsening chronic illnesses among children and has pledged to significantly reform the government's stance on food dyes and other chemicals.
"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," Kennedy said during a Senate confirmation hearing in January.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Key players in the packaged-food sector have expressed concern regarding MAHA's agenda items, which include efforts to eliminate seed oils and ban specific food additives. Other potential topics of discussion during the meeting may involve ultra-processed foods and the FDA’s plans for front-of-pack nutrition labels.
HHS and the Agriculture Department are also expected to work on the next iteration of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans this year, a process that occurs every five years and has historically provided the food industry an opportunity to influence school lunch programs and doctors' dietary recommendations.
General Mills and PepsiCo were unable to provide immediate comments.
The idea for the meeting was initially brought up among industry stakeholders in February and was set in motion by the Consumer Brands Association, which represents companies in the packaged food and alcoholic beverage sectors, according to another individual with knowledge of the situation. However, as of Friday, a meeting agenda had yet to be finalized among the attendees, leading to disagreements that could complicate the session.
“There is major concern that [CBA is] going to agree, as major industry players, to things that eliminate science from the FDA,” the individual remarked. They also suggested that it’s “entirely possible the CEOs fall over themselves to agree to whatever MAHA asks them to do.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Leaders from General Mills and PepsiCo are anticipated to take part in the discussions with Kennedy, according to four individuals familiar with the arrangements, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the details. They noted that the list of attendees may still change.
Kennedy was prompted to engage with the food executives at the request of the White House, which has urged Cabinet officials to connect with key representatives from the sectors they oversee, as indicated by one of the sources.
This meeting signifies a critical moment for an industry that has long been a focal point for Kennedy and his Make America Healthy Again movement. He has accused major food corporations of worsening chronic illnesses among children and has pledged to significantly reform the government's stance on food dyes and other chemicals.
"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," Kennedy said during a Senate confirmation hearing in January.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Key players in the packaged-food sector have expressed concern regarding MAHA's agenda items, which include efforts to eliminate seed oils and ban specific food additives. Other potential topics of discussion during the meeting may involve ultra-processed foods and the FDA’s plans for front-of-pack nutrition labels.
HHS and the Agriculture Department are also expected to work on the next iteration of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans this year, a process that occurs every five years and has historically provided the food industry an opportunity to influence school lunch programs and doctors' dietary recommendations.
General Mills and PepsiCo were unable to provide immediate comments.
The idea for the meeting was initially brought up among industry stakeholders in February and was set in motion by the Consumer Brands Association, which represents companies in the packaged food and alcoholic beverage sectors, according to another individual with knowledge of the situation. However, as of Friday, a meeting agenda had yet to be finalized among the attendees, leading to disagreements that could complicate the session.
“There is major concern that [CBA is] going to agree, as major industry players, to things that eliminate science from the FDA,” the individual remarked. They also suggested that it’s “entirely possible the CEOs fall over themselves to agree to whatever MAHA asks them to do.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
