(NewsNation) — One of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s main focuses, if confirmed as President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services secretary, will be removing additives in foods some Americans eat every day.
At a rally in November for Trump, Kennedy said the U.S. is allowing food industries to “poison” children.
In the final days of the Biden administration, the Food and Drug Administration banned red dye No. 3.
Now, there are other substances that food activists and doctors are trying to get the FDA to crack down on. These include chemicals that typically alter the taste, texture, scent, color and shelf life of popular food products.
As the number of people being diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases increases, there is a growing chorus of doctors and activists calling for more research and transparency.
“The issue is we have several other ingredients that have shown strong data in the medical literature to cause cancer, but yet they’re still in our foods, especially foods targeted towards children,” Dr. Ana-Maria Temple, a holistic pediatrician, told NewsNation. These include butylated hydroxyanisole and tert-butylhydroquinone, she said.
Since 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics has asked the FDA and lawmakers to crack down on the U.S. food supply.
“Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of chemicals added to foods because they eat more per pound than adults, and their developing organ systems may be susceptible,” the AAP said.