Food safety in focus at RFK Jr. meeting as MAHA influencers urge safeguarding of America
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with food industry leaders on Monday for a roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C.
Representatives from Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Tyson Foods, WK Kellogg Co, The J.M. Smucker Company and PepsiCo, along with Consumer Brands, were all present at the meeting.
Secretary Kennedy announced the meeting on X, posting, "Great discussion today … 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," the post added.
Consumer Brands Association President and CEO Melissa Hockstad also issued a statement announcing the meeting at HHS.
"Today, industry leaders met with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to discuss his Make America Healthy Again agenda and working together to maintain consumer access to safe, affordable and convenient product choices," said Hockstad.
"It's time for major food companies to prioritize public health over profit by embracing real, whole-food ingredients."
"It was a constructive conversation, and we look forward to continued engagement with the secretary and the qualified experts within HHS to support public health, build consumer trust and promote consumer choice," she added.
While the specific topics of discussion have not been confirmed, the food industry as a whole has been a target of RFK Jr.'s since the initial launch of his presidential campaign.
"Food Babe" and Truvani founder Vani Hari told Fox News Digital that bringing everyone together is "the first step to any realistic change."
"Bringing [food industry's] biggest lobbying firm with them, the Consumer Brands Association … they're going to be ready to recommend some of these changes, because they can't stop the state legislation that's happening across the board," said Hari, who is based in North Carolina.
"We have 30 different states looking at legislation," she added.
West Virginia recently passed statewide legislation banning food dyes and preservatives.
The preservatives butylated hydroxyanisole and propylparaben — as well as dyes Blue No. 1 and 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3 and 40, and Yellow No. 5 and 6 — will all be banned once the bill is signed by Governor Patrick Morrisey.
In February, the Arizona House of Representatives passed the Arizona Healthy Schools Act, which bans ultraprocessed foods containing harmful additives from being served in public school meals.
While grocery shopping, Hari said she hopes Americans pick one-ingredient products and peruse the middle aisles with scrutiny.
"You want to avoid things you don't recognize, chemical names that you know aren't real food, because that's a massive experiment to your body," she noted.
MAHA influencer and cancer survivor Liana Werner-Gray told Fox News Digital the meeting is a critical step toward addressing the root causes of chronic disease in America.
"The overuse of harmful food additives, artificial dyes, inflammatory seed oils and glyphosate contamination has contributed to rising health issues, including obesity, diabetes, cancer and behavioral disorders," she said.
"It's time for major food companies to prioritize public health over profit by embracing real, whole-food ingredients. Consumers are demanding change, and the industry must listen," Werner-Gray added.
Fox News Digital reached out to HHS for comment.
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