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(Nicole Wells, Newsmax) – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called on senior food company executives to remove artificial dyes from their products, warning them in a meeting [last] week that he would take action if they did not.
Bloomberg reported that Kraft Heinz Co. and General Mills Inc. were among the food companies in attendance at Monday’s gathering.
According to a letter from the Consumer Brands Association (CBA)* that described the meeting and was viewed by the outlet, “Kennedy expects ‘real and transformative’ change by ‘getting the worst ingredients out’ of food.” [*The CBA is a trade association for manufacturers of consumer packaged goods. The CBA represents companies that manufacture food, beverages, household, and personal care products].
Sent by CBA Chief Executive Officer Melissa Hockstad, the letter said that Kennedy “made clear his intention to take action unless the industry is willing to be proactive with solutions.”
The letter indicates that the industry group plans to communicate with HHS employees “about specific expectations they have of the industry and sharing how HHS can help remove roadblocks for the industry to provide solutions.”
On Monday, Kennedy posted a photo on X of himself with food industry leaders saying he had a “great discussion” with them on “advancing food safety and radical transparency to protect the health of all Americans, especially our children.”
“We will strengthen consumer trust by getting toxins out of our food,” Kennedy wrote. “Let’s Make America Healthy Again.”
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with the representatives from food giants Kraft Heinz, GM, Tyson, Kellogg’s Smucker’s and PepsiCo.
In addition to Kraft Heinz Co. and General Mills Inc., the CEOs of Tyson Foods, Kellogg’s, Smucker’s, and PepsiCo took part in the meeting, according to Kennedy’s social media post.
Earlier this year, U.S. health officials banned the artificial food dye known as Red No. 3, which has been shown to cause cancer in animals and is used in foods, dietary supplements and oral medications.
But other artificial food dyes are still legal and are found in tens of thousands of products in American supermarkets and convenience stores, according to data from NielsenIQ. Removing these coloring agents from food products is a cornerstone of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
Health advocates have said for years that the synthetic colors do not add any taste or nutritional value but instead make unhealthy foods look more appealing.
In November, a group of federal lawmakers sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration demanding that the agency ban Red No. 3.
“The FDA should act quickly to protect the nation’s youth from this harmful dye, used simply to give food and drinks a bright red color,” the letter said. “No aesthetic reason could justify the use of a carcinogen in our food supply.”
Published at Newsmax on March 11, 2025. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.
Questions
1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news story. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)
2. Which companies were represented at the meeting with HHS Secretary Kennedy?
3. How did food industry advocate Melissa Hockstad (CEO of the Consumer Brands Association) view Secretary Kennedy’s request to the executives?
4. What is Secretary Kennedy’s goal/purpose for eliminating dyes from foods?
5. Read the “Background” and watch the videos under “Resources” below the questions. What do you think?
a) Are Secretary Kennedy’s points reasonable? Explain your answer.
b) Do you support Secretary Kennedy’s push to eliminate potentially/definitely harmful dyes from the food we eat? Explain your answer.
Background
From a 3/14/25 (AI) Grok search for “list foods with dyes hhs secretary kennedy wants to eliminate:”
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed a strong desire to eliminate artificial dyes from the U.S. food supply as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. While he has not provided an exhaustive list of specific foods, he has targeted artificial color additives, particularly those classified as FD&C (Food, Drug, and Cosmetic) colors, which he wants removed before leaving office. These dyes are synthetic chemicals commonly used to enhance the visual appeal of processed foods. Based on his public statements and actions, such as his March 10, 2025, meeting with food industry CEOs from companies like PepsiCo, General Mills, and Kellogg’s, the focus is on widely consumed products containing these artificial dyes.
Below is a list of types of foods that commonly contain artificial dyes Kennedy is likely targeting, based on their prevalence in the American diet and the specific dyes he has criticized (e.g., Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2). Note that this list is illustrative, not definitive, as Kennedy’s exact scope may depend on future policy actions:
Breakfast Cereals
Examples: Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch, Lucky Charms
Common Dyes: Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1
Kennedy has specifically called out cereals like Froot Loops for using artificial dyes in the U.S. while natural alternatives are used in countries like Canada.
Candy and Confections
Examples: Skittles, M&M’s, gummy bears, jelly beans
Common Dyes: Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Red No. 3
These brightly colored sweets rely heavily on synthetic dyes to attract consumers, especially children.
Soft Drinks and Beverages
Examples: Mountain Dew, Fanta, Kool-Aid, Gatorade (certain flavors)
Common Dyes: Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Red No. 40, Blue No. 1
Neon-colored drinks often use dyes to achieve their vibrant hues.
Snack Foods
Examples: Cheetos, Doritos, Goldfish crackers
Common Dyes: Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Red No. 40
Kennedy has referenced snacks like Doritos as part of his critique of processed foods with artificial additives.
and others…
Kennedy’s push, as reported from his meeting with industry leaders, emphasizes removing “the worst ingredients” like these FD&C colors. While the FDA has already banned Red No. 3 (effective 2027) due to cancer links in animals, Kennedy aims to extend this to other dyes like Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Blue No. 1, which remain widely used despite debates over their safety. His ultimatum to companies—remove these voluntarily or face government action—suggests a broad crackdown on processed foods relying on synthetic colors. The exact list of affected foods could expand as his policies take shape, potentially targeting any product with artificial dyes unless reformulated with natural alternatives.
From a Facebook post by Jim Hoppa on June 27, 2019: Didja know –
- All Froot Loop colors taste the same. Kellogg’s themselves confirmed that all the flavors are made of a generic “fruit blend.” Any differentiation you tasted was simply a placebo effect. UK Fruit Loops only have orange, green, and purple, because there were no natural substitutes for red, yellow, and blue.
- UK Froot Loops are larger! Froot Loops were introduced to the UK in 2012, but were shortly removed in late 2015 due to lack of demand.
- Froot Loops has been sued at least four times for being misleading due to not actually containing any fruit. However, since their name is a deliberate misspelling of “fruit,” it has never been successful.
- Toucan Sam’s beak represents the three original colors. As Froot Loops started adding more colors, Toucan Sam’s beak remained the same. Now at eight colors, there are too many stripes for his beak!
Resources
Watch a video from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., created in October 2024, prior to Presidential Election:
Watch a March 11, 2025 report from Scripps News:
Daily “Answers” emails are provided for Daily News Articles, Tuesday’s World Events and Friday’s News Quiz.
