RFK Jr. Warns Food Companies They Have Two Years to Eliminate Artificial Dyes

April 10, 2025 TruthUSA

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed insights from his private meeting with food industry executives.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned in a recent interview that he has given food company leaders a two-year timeframe to eliminate Red 40 and other synthetic dyes from their products.

“They informed me that it would take some time. For instance, the CEO of Pepsi, which owns Doritos, remarked … ‘Consumers prefer them to be very red, and we haven’t yet discovered a vegetable dye that can match this, but we are committed to doing so.’ I responded that all of these dyes must be removed within two years,” Kennedy stated during his interview with CBS, which was released on April 9, providing details about the meeting for the first time.

The meeting held on March 10 included executives from Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Tyson Foods, Kellogg’s, Smucker’s, and PepsiCo.

The Consumer Brands Association, which represents PepsiCo and other food firms, was also involved.

The association mentioned afterward that Kennedy conveyed the government’s desire for companies to eliminate artificial dyes from their food products.

“The meeting was very constructive,” Kennedy noted in the latest interview. “I believe they recognize the urgency of the situation.”

Kennedy emphasized that the dyes are “clearly linked to a concerning array of diseases, including various cancers and neurobehavioral disorders like ADHD, with extensive documentation of such associations. In many instances, products made in our country contain these dyes, while those produced in Canada, Mexico, and Europe use vegetable-based alternatives.”

Research has connected artificial dyes to various neurobehavioral issues, as reported by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in a 2021 analysis of existing studies.

In January, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Red No. 3, a synthetic dye, from food items, citing studies revealing that rats exposed to high doses developed cancer. However, they noted that “claims suggesting that the dye poses a risk to humans in foods and ingested drugs are not corroborated by the currently available scientific data.”

After Kennedy took office as health secretary, West Virginia prohibited seven artificial dyes from food and beverage products.

Kennedy stated that he recently met again with Tyson Foods, indicating that the company is down to one dye and is actively working to eliminate it.

A spokesperson for PepsiCo previously shared with The Epoch Times: “We value the Secretary’s engagement and view the meeting as a productive initial step in collaborating with the Administration. Together, we are dedicated to ensuring that America’s food system remains the finest globally. We are committed to providing consumers with accessible, affordable, and safe foods, including a greater selection of items with natural ingredients, devoid of synthetic colors and with reduced sugar, fat, and sodium.”

Tyson has yet to respond to requests for a comment.

The discussions revolved around the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, focusing on collaborating to ensure that consumers have access to safe, affordable, and convenient options, as mentioned by Melissa Hockstad, the President and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, in previous conversations with The Epoch Times.

Kennedy also highlighted in the new interview that he plans to abolish the Generally Recognized as Safe standard, which he considers the “biggest villain” in food safety, as part of his efforts to realize the Make America Healthy Again vision.

On March 10, Kennedy directed the FDA to investigate the potential elimination of a regulation that allows companies to incorporate additives into foods without FDA evaluation.

This regulation was originally designed for traditional ingredients such as yeast but has since expanded to include a wider array of components.

“The FDA has been influenced by the food industry, which led to an expansion of the GRAS standard to encompass nearly everything. This is why there are 10,000 ingredients in our food, while Europeans have only 400 in theirs,” Kennedy explained. “In Europe, before a chemical can be included in food, it must be demonstrated to be safe. Here, it’s typically rubber-stamped.”

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