8 Food Ingredients RFK Jr Is Pushing Hard to Get Rid Of

Make America Healthy Again, a movement started by RFK Jr. is an attempt to take on Big Pharma and Big Food. The movement aims to reduce the number of chronic diseases in the U.S. and make both kids and adults healthy. Part of this movement is removing certain food ingredients from the shelves.

Now that President-elect Donald Trump has named RFK Jr. as his pick for the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, some of the goals of this movement may become a reality. In an attempt to make Americans more healthy, here are 8 food ingredients RFK Jr. is working hard to get rid of.

Fluoride

Although fluoride isn’t an ingredient in our food, it is an ingredient in the drinking water for many people in the country. The government often adds fluoride to public water sources to combat poor dental health.

Removing fluoride from the water

RFK Jr. has committed to removing fluoride from all public water sources. While there is evidence that fluoride improves dental health, there have also been concerns from the National Toxicology Department about the amount of fluoride in water, especially for certain populations, such as young children and pregnant women.

Seed oil

Seed oil has been a hot topic lately as many people try to move away from it. Despite the varying opinions out there, RJK Jr. has made his position on seed oils clear.

Seed oil vs tallow

RFK Jr has spoken about his concerns with seed oils, from how they’re manufactured to their connection to chronic health conditions. Like many other critics of this type of oil, he believes there are healthier alternatives such as beef tallow, or more natural oils such as coconut oil.

Grains

RFK Jr. may not be interested in banning all grains, but he has stated, “Kids shouldn’t be eating grains.” He’s not alone in his position that grains should be consumed in moderation and that the type of grain does matter.

Changing the limits for grain consumption

One of the conversations in the health community around grains has been about moving from more refined grains to whole grains. There are mixed opinions on the benefits versus risks of eating grains, but most people in the health community agree it’s best to move away from refined grains.

Food dyes

RFK Jr has spoken frequently about the dangers of food dyes, especially when they’re present in children’s food and cereals such as Fruit Loops. There is research that suggests overconsumption of food dyes can have negative effects on the health and behavior of children.

U.S. cereals compared to Canadian

One of the comparisons RFK Jr. made was between the U.S. version of Fruit Loops and the Canadian version of Fruit Loops. In the Canadian version, the colors come from concentrated fruit juice instead of food dyes. Although the Canadian version of this cereal isn’t a health food, the ingredients may be slightly better than the American version.

Butylated hydroxytoluene

Butylated hydroxytoluene is one of the chemicals manufacturers use in the American version of Fruit Loops. This ingredient has numerous uses in both food and cosmetic products, but companies use it most often as an antioxidant.

One of many artificial ingredients

RFK Jr. has criticized Fruit Loops and other cereals marketed toward children for having a whole list of artificial ingredients. When it comes to Fruit Loops, one of the artificial ingredients is Butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT, which companies use as a preservative or antioxidant in food and other products.

Sugar

In addition to grains, RFK Jr has also stated that kids shouldn’t be eating sugar. Sugar may have minimal effects when consumed in moderation, but the overconsumption of sugar can lead to many long-term health issues.

Focus on healthier meals for kids

Even though many people don’t agree with all his statements, there’s a lot of agreement about reducing the amount of sugar and highly processed foods that kids are eating. RFK Jr. has discussed improving the quality of school lunches and even changing the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) to prevent families from using the benefits on unhealthy foods.

High fructose corn syrup

RFK Jr. has discussed how high fructose corn syrup and seed oils have replaced healthier ingredients because they’re cheaper. High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener in many processed foods and the overconsumption of this sweetener can lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome.

The importance of health over money

Even though ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and seed oils may be cheaper, Kennedy argues that the prominence of these ingredients in food since the 1990s has impacted the health of consumers across the U.S. There are many alternatives to these ingredients that may have less of a negative impact on public health.

Pesticides in farming

The health of our food starts before it’s on the shelves, according to RFK Jr. He has frequently criticized certain farming practices and the use of herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides in farming.

Changing the agriculture industry

RFK Jr has stated how the pesticides and other chemicals used in farming are destroying the health of the soil and the food we eat. He has explicitly stated that he believes producing “natural, unprocessed foods” and banning “the worst agricultural chemicals” is the solution to fixing the problems with American agriculture.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Rebecca Noble/ via Getty Images.