Even before Donald Trump is sworn in as 47, the sweeping changes are already happening, and this one could, potentially, spark a revolution in policy over Americans’ health and well-being when it comes to food.
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As I wrote in August, California became the first state to ban a slate of food colorings and chemical additives in meals served at state public schools.
Leading the Way?
There’s a connection to President-elect Trump’s making his pick for the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) chief, Bobby Kennedy Jr. That is something which has ruffled some feathers in the health establishment, as my colleague Streiff pointed out about a week ago.
Former Trump FDA Chief Campaigning to Block RFK, Jr.’s Nomination to Lead Health and Human Services
Perhaps hoping to take credit for changes Kennedy has openly supported in the food industry for years, the Biden administration’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced during a Senate meeting this week it is reviewing the possibility of new rules that would effectively ban the colorings in some U.S. foods within “the next few weeks.”
NBC News reported that Jim Jones, the deputy commissioner for human foods at the FDA, said:
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“With Red 3, we have a petition in front of us to revoke the authorization board, and we’re hopeful that in the next few weeks we’ll be acting on that petition.”
The review was spurred by a passionate letter to the FDA. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), a ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote:
“With the holiday season in full swing where sweet treats are abundant, it is frightening that this chemical remains hidden in these foods that we and our children are eating.
“While food companies must ensure that the food they market is safe, they are also only required to ensure that their products meet FDA’s standards. This means that thousands of products that contain this chemical can remain on the market.”
He continued, writing:
…there is “no reason” for the additive to be in food “except to entice and mislead customers” to make products appear “more appealing.”
Author Calley Means, who has worked closely with Kennedy on food industry concerns, celebrated the news on X, writing:
The Biden administration is rushing to ban indefensible and neurodegenerative food colorings before the term ends.
All credit should be going to @realDonaldTrump and @RobertKennedyJr for bringing these no-brainer health issues to top of national agenda.
In addition to warriors who have been pushing on this issue for over a decade like @thefoodbabe and @drmarkhyman
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Chef Andrew Gruel also reacted to the story on his X account, echoing the fact that this has been a long time coming:
So now everyone agrees they are bad? Excellent, this is good news. So if we allowed them for so long, and the FDA oversaw this, then we should also rebuild the FDA.
Regardless of who came up with the idea, this is a good thing. It’s nothing less than a nutritional overhaul, which could improve millions of Americans’ lives
What this election is already proving is that bold changes can happen, if you have the will as a nation. As I said, it’s a net positive that the Biden administration doing this, but they likely never would have without the “threat” of RFK Jr. coming in–which says a lot about their priorities