Latest news with #RobertF.Kennedy
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kraft Heinz products getting no-dye makeover
Condiment giant Kraft Heinz said it won't add artificial coloring to any new product it launches in the U.S., starting now. And in compliance with plans by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the company hopes to get rid of all artificial dyes in U.S.-sold products before 2028. The announcement was made Tuesday morning in a news release that said nearly 90% of the company's products in the U.S. are already free of artificial colors, which are called 'Food, Drug & Cosmetic' colors by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For the products that do contain artificial coloring, the company said it has 'invested significant resources, mobilizing a team to address this complex challenge with a three-pronged approach': Kraft Heinz is removing colors 'not critical to the consumer experience.' It's replacing artificial colors with natural colors. For its third alternative, the company is 'reinventing new colors and shades where matching natural colors are not available.' Kraft Heinz brands include Jell-O, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Capri Sun, Kool-Aid, Grey Poupon, Honig, Oscar Mayer, Classico, Lunchables and Quero, among others. Pedro Navio, North America president of Kraft Heinz, said in the release that the company is more than 150 years old and its product line and recipes are always 'evolving.' He noted they took the artificial colors, preservatives and flavors out of their Kraft Mac & Cheese in 2016. 'Our iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never had artificial dyes — the red color comes simply from the world's best tomatoes," he said. The company also emphasized how much of its product line comes from U.S. sources. 'Today, Kraft Heinz sources the most tomatoes in the U.S., all grown in California for products like Heinz Tomato Ketchup. Claussen pickles (cucumbers) are grown in Ohio and Michigan; Ore-Ida potatoes are grown in Idaho; the dairy for Philadelphia cream cheese comes from farms in Upstate New York,' per the release. Other companies are also eliminating artificial dyes. Reuters reported those include W.K. Kellogg and Tyson Foods, which 'have been working on reformulating existing products and introducing new items without artificial dyes.' The article added that Walmart-owned Sam's Club announced earlier this month that it was getting rid of 40 ingredients, 'including artificial colors and aspartame,' from its Member's Mark brands by the end of 2025. States are also taking steps. California, West Virginia and Virginia have said no to artificial dyes in food. And the Environmental Working Group has reported that dozens of other states are looking at banning artificial coloring and different additives, as well. Deseret News reported in April that Kennedy was going to ban eight petroleum-based artificial food dyes from use in the American food supply. He said they would be eliminated within the next two years. The announcement, made by video, told food manufacturers to choose natural alternatives. In the video, Kennedy said wryly that if people want to consume petroleum, 'they should add it themselves at home.' Per Deseret News, 'Kennedy is focusing on the other eight artificial food dyes, which the Center for Science in the Public Interest calls 'a rainbow of risks.' Those eight are Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2, Citrus Red No. 2, Green No. 3, Orange B, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6." The FDA had already said to stop using red dye No. 3. Authorization for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B are soon to be revoked, which will also happen to the remaining six petroleum-based dyes by year's end. The driving force behind the ban has been health risk, with some research linking several of the dyes to possible tumor development and neurotoxicity in animal studies. There have been reported worries that had potential risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as Deseret News reported. There are also concerns the dyes could increase the risk of certain cancers. Food manufacturers have said there's not strong evidence of health risks, but Kennedy's team has countered that any risk isn't worth it. And other countries are also taking steps. Per The New York Times, Froot Loops in Canada are colored by blueberries and carrots, while the U.S. version is colored by Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Blue No. 1. Many artificial dyes in food are banned in the European Union. CNN reported that Kraft Heinz's action 'may push rivals to speed up efforts to phase out artificial coloring.'
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ice cream, other foods getting makeover as part of MAHA
The White House is touting progress in getting artificial colors and harmful chemicals out of the U.S. food supply — including news that ice cream companies that together make more than 90% of the ice cream sold in the U.S. have agreed to stop using certified artificial colors in their products. 'President Donald J. Trump took office promising to confront the chronic health crisis plaguing Americans — and six months later, he is delivering on that promise by removing harmful chemicals from our food supply," per a White House news release Monday. The effort is in line with findings of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's 'Make Americans Healthy Again' effort. In a report the department recently issued, chemical exposures and food dyes were called out as harmful. As Deseret News noted, the report on children's health focused on four things: an unhealthy diet — including artificial ingredients and dyes — exposure to environmental chemicals, too little activity and overprescription of medications. The White House list of companies that manufacture food and promise to make it healthier includes: Steak 'n Shake replaced its buttery blend with 100% all natural beef tallow, per QSR Magazine. In-N-Out told Good Morning America that it is making the same transition to 100% beef tallow and said it will remove artificial food dyes and artificial flavors from its menu items. McCormick said it will drop certain food dyes. McCormick CEO Brendan Foley told analysts that 'we are seeing a tick-up in reformulation activity' regarding food dyes and sodium, the latter of which he added they've always been working on, per Fox Business. PepsiCo is going to reformulate some of its products, including Tostitos and Lay's chips by the end of the year to remove artificial ingredients. Ramon Laguarta, company chair and CEO, told Food Business News in April that 60% of the company's portfolio already didn't have artificial colors. Tyson Foods has been 'proactively reformulating' products that contain petroleum-based artificial dyes, per Reuters. The company noted that most of its products don't contain those dyes. Mars Wrigley removed titanium dioxide from Skittles. Fox News reported it's typically used 'to make food look whiter and opaque.' Sam's Club has said it is 96% of the way to the goal of removing artificial ingredients from its private brand, Member's Mark. The warehouse store is calling the effort 'made without,' per a release from Walmart, Sam's Club's parent company. It said that 'the 'Made Without' list includes over 40 distinct ingredients, such as artificial colors, aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup, that were identified based on a combination of member feedback, nutritional guidance and industry trends.' Kraft-Heinz is giving its products a no-artificial-dyes makeover in the U.S., as Deseret News earlier reported. General Mills is taking artificial dyes from its cereals and all foods sold in K-12 schools, as the Associated Press reported. Nestlé USA said most of its portfolio doesn't have synthetic colors, but it's reformulating products that do to eliminate them by the middle of next year. 'Conagra Foods announced it will remove certain color additives from its frozen products, no longer offer products with artificial dyes in K-12 schools and stop using artificial dyes in the manufacturing of its products," per the White House. JM Smucker is getting rid of its synthetic colors from consumer food products, according to FoodDive and Hershey is doing the same, per Bloomberg. The Consumer Brands Association said it is urging its food and beverage companies to stop using the certified Food, Drug and Cosmetic colors from products served in schools by fall 2026.
Los Angeles Times
11-07-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
New Trump rule immediately bans undocumented immigrants from Head Start child care
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced Thursday that effective immediately, undocumented immigrants will no longer be allowed to attend Head Start, the federal program that provides child care, nutrition and health assistance to 800,000 low-income infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers. The announcement bars all people living in the country without legal status from a suite of federally funding public programs, including health clinics, family planning and the low energy assistance program. While those living in the country illegally are prohibited from using most federal programs, a 1998 notice allowed them to access certain benefits relied on by low-income families with young children. In a press release, however, Kennedy announced that HHS was rescinding this interpretation, limiting the ability of low-income immigrant families to use more than a dozen federal programs run by the agency. 'For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,' said Kennedy. 'Today's action changes that—it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.' Head Start has never required documentation of immigration status as a condition for enrollment over the last 60 years of the program, according a statement from the National Head Start Association. 'Attempts to impose such a requirement threaten to create fear and confusion among all families who are focused on raising healthy children, ready to succeed in school and life,' said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association. 'This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future.' HHS estimates that prohibiting undocumented immigrants from accessing Head Start would save $374 million in services annually, while costing $21 million in time spent by individuals trying document and review eligibility, as well as transition costs for the Head Start program. . 'Today, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the Administration is taking the biggest step in more than 30 years to protect taxpayer-funded benefits for American citizens — NOT illegal aliens,' the White House said in a press release. 'The move, which preserves roughly $40 billion in benefits for American citizens, overturns decades of bureaucratic defiance and builds on President Trump's executive order directing an END to the subsidization of open borders.' The announcement shook the Head Start industry, which has already been reeling this year from a series of program layoffs, cuts, and threats to terminate the program entirely. Head Start leaders said it was not clear how the directive will be carried out. The memo did not specify, for example, whether immigration status would be checked for the parents or the child, said Ed Condon, executive director of the Region 9 Head Start Assn., which represents four states, including California. 'Family status takes us down one road and child status would take us down another. Most of the kids we serve are citizens,' said Condon. It was also unclear whether the change would apply to all Head Start centers, including those run by school districts. 'Everybody is on hold. But this is not good news.' Limiting access to the program could also deter parents without legal status from enrolling their citizen children in Head Start, said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now and a former California Assembly member. 'We guarantee every kid an education in this country, regardless of status,' he said. 'That shouldn't be different in terms of early education, and certainly not when it comes to Head Start.' The federal action — which comes on the tail of additional cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance in the just-approved Republican budget — will impact some of the most vulnerable young children in the nation, child care experts said. 'Lower income families often avail themselves of multiple services,' including housing, energy and food assistance, said Donna Sneeringer, chief strategy officer for the Child Care Resource Center, which provides Head Start services to 2,500 children in Southern California. 'They are doing everything they can to put the pieces together to care for their families.' The notice announcing the change in policy will be published in the Federal Registry, at which point a 30-day public comment period will begin. HHS said the change, however, is effective immediately because 'any delay would be contrary to the public interest and fail to address the ongoing emergency at the Southern Border of the United States. In a press release, the ACLU said that if the notice takes effect, plaintiffs in a lawsuit that was filed in April challenging attacks by the Trump administration to Head Start plan to amend their complaint to include the changes. This article is part of The Times' early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to
Axios
09-07-2025
- Health
- Axios
Researchers identify four distinct types of autism
There are four distinct varieties of autism, each linked to unique genetic profiles — a discovery that could offer new insights into the neurodevelopmental condition, according to a new study in Nature Genetics. Why it matters: The findings come as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy is pushing federal efforts to identify an " environmental" cause for increased autism incidence by September. Driving the news: A Princeton-led research team examined data from more than 5,000 children in SPARK, an autism cohort study funded by the Simons Foundation. After analyzing more than 230 traits including social interactions and repetitive behaviors, they identified four subtypes: "social and behavioral challenges," "mixed ASD with developmental delay," "moderate challenges" and "broadly affected." They then linked the subtypes to distinct genetic mutations, identifying divergent biological processes in each. For example, children in the "broadly affected" group showed the highest proportion of mutations not inherited from either parent, while the "mixed ASD with developmental delay" group was more likely to carry rare inherited genetic variants. Autism is known to be highly heritable, with many implicated genes. But the researchers said standard genetic testing only explains about 20% of cases. What they're saying:"What we're seeing is not just one biological story of autism, but multiple distinct narratives," said Natalie Sauerwald, associate research scientist at the Flatiron Institute and co-lead author, in a statement.
Axios
07-07-2025
- Health
- Axios
Planned Parenthood sues Trump over "defund" provision
Planned Parenthood on Monday sued the Trump administration over a one-year funding ban in the Republican tax and spending package, saying it violates the reproductive health group's constitutional rights. Why it matters: Planned Parenthood has called the provision a "backdoor abortion ban" and said it could lead to the closure of some 200 affiliated clinics nationwide. Driving the news: The just-passed reconciliation bill includes a provision that effectively cut off Planned Parenthood and other large organizations that offer abortions from federal Medicaid funding for one year. Republicans lawmakers originally pressed for a 10-year ban but dialed back the duration while the Senate parliamentarian reviewed whether the prohibition was in order. The lawsuit also comes after the Supreme Court late last month ruled Medicaid patients don't have a right to freely choose their medical provider, in a South Carolina case that centered around state funding for Planned Parenthood. What they're saying: "The Defund Provision is a naked attempt to leverage the government's spending power to attack and penalize Planned Parenthood and impermissibly single it out for unfavorable treatment," the organization said in the filing in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. "There is no legitimate justification for the statute; rather, the true design of the Defund Provision is simply to express disapproval of, attack, and punish Planned Parenthood," the group stated in the complaint. More than 1 million Medicaid patients annually access health services through Planned Parenthood affiliates, they said. The suit names HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, as well as the health department, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and his agency.
