close
close

Apre-salomemanzo

Breaking: Beyond Headlines!

Can RFK Jr make the American diet healthy again?
aecifo

Can RFK Jr make the American diet healthy again?

Dietary reforms, while long a part of the public health debate, may also prove simply unrealistic, both politically and bureaucratically, some experts say.

“It’s a lot more complicated than he lets on,” Dr. Lurie said. “These are real challenges, and you will encounter opposition from the industry at every turn. »

For one thing, the FDA has no authority over the catch-all of “ultra-processed foods,” several former officials told the BBC.

Instead, they say, the process is more complicated. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FDA regulate the food industry. The FDA doesn’t make the rules: It enforces policies passed by Congress and works to limit unhealthy foods by imposing limits and labeling certain nutrients, like sodium and saturated fat.

Kennedy’s comments “make for excellent political rhetoric,” Ms. Garner said. “In my opinion, I don’t see how this could be achievable without drastic changes in other policies and infrastructure. »

He will also face industry backlash over proposals to ban pesticides and genetically modified organisms commonly used by U.S. farmers, former FDA officials said.

“The companies are going to complain,” said Rosalie Lijinsky, a 33-year former FDA official.

The industry is accustomed to limited oversight from both Democrats and Republicans — including during Trump’s first term — while many of Kennedy’s goals would involve even more regulation.

Several food industry groups met with lawmakers ahead of Kennedy’s nomination this month to lobby against him, Politico reported last month.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said this week that he plans to meet with Kennedy before his confirmation hearing and “spend a lot of time educating him about agriculture.”

Kennedy’s stance also puts him at odds with President-elect Trump, a longtime lover of fast food who worked to repeal stricter health requirements for school meals during his first term.

“You get ideas that make some sense, but they are exactly the ones that this administration is hostile to,” Dr. Lurie said.

In a statement to the BBC, the Food Industry Association, which represents food retailers, producers and manufacturers, such as General Mills, said it looked forward to working with Trump’s team to “ensure that the Food and drug policy continues to be science-based to reduce risks. regulatory complexity.

Industry complaints about Kennedy’s agenda are not a surprise, said Jeff Hutt, a spokesman for the Make America Healthy Again political action committee, which is urging Republican lawmakers to confirm Kennedy.

The health movement’s goal, Mr. Hutt said, is to “prioritize America’s well-being over corporate profits.”

“Even if the idea of ​​banning ultra-processed foods is not politically possible, it is a discussion we need to have,” he said.