RFK Jr. moves to eliminate foods that were considered 'safe'

RFK Jr. moves to eliminate foods that were considered 'safe'

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the most controversial political figures of the moment, has launched a crusade against chemicals in food that have been considered safe for decades. In his role as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, he has taken a firm stance in favor of transparency and food safety, joining the "Make America Healthy Again" agenda supported by former President Donald Trump and millions of citizens concerned about the quality of their food.

Kennedy argues that the first step toward true food reform is total transparency. According to him, even the U.S. government itself does not have a clear understanding of all the ingredients found in the foods consumed daily. This lack of oversight is partly due to the designation of "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), a classification established in 1958 that exempts certain common ingredients, such as salt and baking soda, from rigorous safety testing.

However, what started as a regulation for basic ingredients has evolved into a legal loophole exploited by the food industry. Companies have expanded the GRAS exemption to self-declare their own ingredients as safe, without the need for approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This system, Kennedy argues, has turned Americans into involuntary subjects of a massive experiment with chemicals in their diet.

While in Europe any additive must be proven safe before its incorporation into food, in the United States, chemicals are considered safe until proven otherwise, which can take decades and affect millions of people. According to Kennedy, this lack of regulation has allowed approximately 10,000 chemicals to be part of the U.S. food supply, in contrast to the mere 400 permitted in the European Union.

Some of these chemicals have been linked to serious health problems. Titanium dioxide, for example, has been associated with DNA damage and cancer and is banned in the EU, yet it remains in products targeted at American children. Potassium bromate, a suspected carcinogen banned in Europe and Japan, is still used in American bread. Food colorings such as Red 40 and Yellow 5 and 6 carry warning labels in Europe due to their link to behavioral issues in children, but in the U.S., they are still considered "safe" under the GRAS exemption.

Kennedy acknowledges that the responsibility does not solely lie with food companies, which have simply operated within a permissive system. In his view, the problem lies in an outdated regulatory structure that has been manipulated by corporate interests. However, he warns that society has changed and that consumers, especially mothers concerned about their children's health, are demanding change.

To address this crisis, Kennedy has ordered the FDA commissioner to initiate a reform process to eliminate the self-affirmation GRAS pathway for new ingredients. Additionally, he has instructed the FDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to strengthen post-market evaluations of GRAS chemicals already present in food, with the goal of quickly identifying compounds that pose risks to public health.

The Health Secretary emphasizes that this issue will not disappear on its own. Consumer pressure and awareness of the risks associated with chemicals in food are forcing even the industry to consider changes. Kennedy is committed to working with all stakeholders—businesses, scientists, consumer advocates, and, most importantly, American families—to ensure that the nation's food supply becomes the healthiest in the world once again, just as it was in his childhood.

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