RFK Jr.'s fiery monologue over the state of children's nutrition
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RFK Jr had an explosive exchange with two members of the House Appropriations Committee over plans to make school lunches healthier for children. Kennedy launched into a fiery monologue about the state of children's nutrition after beginning to calmly describe updated federal nutrition guidelines that will tell people 'eat whole food.'
'I've been touring these Head Start facilities, and everything they eat is in a package. It's loaded with sugar and with chemicals,' he told Rep John Moolenaar of Michigan. 'We're poisoning this generation… the poorest kids in our country, and we're starting them out with this count against them.'
Head Start, a federal early education program for low-income families with kids under 5, faces elimination under Trump's latest budget proposal, which would cut school funding for over 500,000 pregnant women, babies, and children. 'If anybody thinks that we did gold standard medicine in this country from these institutions, look at our children! They're the sickest children in the world,' Kennedy exclaimed.
Last month, RFK and fellow federal health officials announced they had come to 'an understanding' with food manufacturers on a proposal to phase out the use of Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 by the end of 2026 and start using natural alternatives. Foods still contain dyes and additives. 'Let's work together and do something that we all believe in, which is to have healthy kids in our country for God's sake,' RFK said.
Emerging research shows that eating or drinking high amounts of Red 40 and similar synthetic dyes may contribute to hyperactivity and behavioral changes in children, including those without an ADHD diagnosis. Evidence suggests these additives can worsen attention deficits and impulse control in sensitive individuals. A Canadian study further uncovered that Allura Red (Red 40) may disrupt gut function, impairing the absorption of essential nutrients, water, and electrolytes.
This breakdown in intestinal barriers could heighten susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Additionally, Blue 1—commonly found in gummy candies and processed snacks—has also been tied to inattention and hyperactivity in kids. Earlier in the hearing, RFK was confronted on food dyes by Tennessee Rep Chuck Fleischmann, whose jurisdiction includes Chattanooga-based M&M Industries.
The colors currently in use by most food manufacturers 'are approved by the FDA [and] have been deemed safe for many years,' the Congressman said. Despite FDA approval under its 'Generally Recognized As Safe' (GRAS) designation, synthetic food dyes like Red 40 have been linked in high quantities to hyperactivity and developmental issues in children. The GRAS system—a self-regulated process where companies determine ingredient safety via internal scientific panels—has drawn sharp criticism from RFK Jr, who argues food manufacturers have 'flown under the radar' for too long.
RFK has been an additive-free food crusader for decades, and has made eliminating them from foods a centerpiece of his Make America Health Again Movement. Among his major goals in his tenure as head of Health and Human Services, which has jurisdiction over the FDA, is to make a sizable dent in the rates of chronic diseases plaguing young people in the US. An estimated 10,000 additives are permitted in the food Americans eat.
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