 Health Care |
Health Care |
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RFK Jr. targets ultra-processed foods 'loophole' |
In a new "60 Minutes" interview, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blasted long-standing exemptions allowing the food industry to determine the safety of many ingredients in ultra-processed foods. |
One of Kennedy's priorities as HHS secretary has been to push back on ultra-processed foods and additives, an initiative that has garnered reluctant support from even some of his critics. Under his tenure, the federal government has pushed food manufacturers to phase out petroleum-based food dyes and updated dietary guidelines to emphasize whole foods. Appearing on CBS News's "60 Minutes," Kennedy told correspondent Bill Whitaker, "There is no way for any American to know if a product is safe if it is ultra processed." Since 1997, food manufacturers have been allowed to conduct their own safety research of ingredients before putting them on the market, foregoing approval by the Food and Drug Administration if the ingredient is Generally Recognized as Safe. "That loophole was hijacked by the industry and it was used to add thousands upon thousands of new ingredients into our food supply. In Europe, there's only 400 legal ingredients," Kennedy said. "This agency does not know how many ingredients there are in American food." The secretary, however, added, "I'm not saying that we're going to regulate ultra-processed food." There is currently no single definition of "ultra-processed foods" that is used by federal regulators, though the FDA and the Department of Agriculture are working to establish a uniform definition. According to the NOVA system developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo School of Public Health, "ultra-processed foods" are defined as "industrially created food products" made with "additives to enhance the taste and/or convenience of the product." |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, I'm Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an interview aired Sunday that he will be looking into the safety of ultra-processed foods, claiming the current industry-led standards are not enough. Appearing on CBS News’s “60 Minutes,” Kennedy told correspondent Bill Whitaker, “There is no way for any American to know if a product is safe if it is ultra processed." The secretary took … |
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PHILADELPHIA (WPHL) — The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is warning of a potential measles exposure at Philadelphia International Airport. Health officials say a person infected with measles traveled through Terminal E on Feb. 12 between 1:35 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The traveler was passing through Philadelphia at the time. Anyone who was in Terminal E during that time may have been exposed, officials said. The health … |
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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday announced a reshuffling of top staffers in his department as the Trump administration looks to shore up health wins that can boost GOP success in the upcoming midterms. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Deputy Administrator Chris Klomp will be chief counselor at the HHS. John Brooks, CMS deputy administrator and the chief policy and regulatory … |
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Branch out with a different read: |
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In farm bill, GOP takes another swing at pesticide protections loathed by MAHA |
Republicans are using the farm bill to take another swing at passing legislation to protect pesticides, something sure to anger their allies in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement. A House Republican iteration of the farm bill released on Friday includes a provision that prevents states and courts from penalizing pesticide makers for failing to include warnings on their label about health effects that … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Buyout of Central Maine Healthcare by a California charity is complete (WMTW)
- A dangerous, drug-resistant fungus is spreading in Missouri health care facilities (OzarksFirst.com)
- Michigan nurse goes without health insurance as ACA costs double for 2026 (MLive.com)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- National Institutes of Health faces leadership vacuum as director positions sit open (NBC News)
- RFK Jr.'s allies are trying to free anti-vaccine doctors to speak their minds (Politico)
- Intervention urging earlier HPV shots linked to better initiation, completion rates (MedPage Today)
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