Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is officially taking aim at the safety of ultra-processed foods, claiming the current industry-led standards for ingredients are absolutely inadequate, as reported by The Hill. The Secretary made it clear that he believes there is no way for Americans to truly know if an ultra-processed product is safe right now.
He voiced major concerns about the sheer volume of ingredients allowed in the U.S. food supply compared to our allies across the Atlantic. Kennedy pointed out that while Europe allows only 400 legal ingredients, the US system permits the use of “thousands upon thousands of new ingredients.” He added, “This agency does not know how many ingredients there are in American food.”
This incredible lack of governmental knowledge stems from a massive loophole called the Generally Recognized as Safe, or GRAS, exemption. This exemption has been in place since 1997, and it essentially allows food companies to police themselves. Food manufacturers can independently verify the safety of an ingredient and put it on the market without any direct oversight from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as long as it is “broadly recognized as safe.”
Kennedy argues that this system was completely “hijacked by the industry” to flood the market with novel ingredients
It’s not just the current administration ringing the alarm bells. Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, who served in multiple administrations, echoed the Secretary’s concerns about the long-term impact of these products. Kessler explained that over the last 40 years, the United States has been exposed to something our biology was never intended to handle.
These foods are highly problematic because they are “energy-dense, highly palatable, rapidly absorbable, ultra-processed foods,” Kessler stated. He believes this exposure has fundamentally “altered our metabolism and have resulted in the greatest increase in chronic disease in our history.”
Currently, there is no single, unified definition of “ultra-processed foods” used by the FDA or the Department of Agriculture, though both agencies are working to establish a uniform standard. Researchers at the University of São Paulo School of Public Health have offered a widely used definition under the NOVA system, which calls them “industrially created food products” made with “additives to enhance the taste and/or convenience of the product.”
Kennedy, who was in hot water for talking about his unhygienic cocaine practices, isn’t necessarily focused on slapping down massive new regulations right away. He confirmed, “I’m not saying that we’re going to regulate ultra-processed food.” Instead, his primary focus is on information. He wants to ensure that the public is informed, stating, “Our job is to make sure that everybody understands what they’re getting, to have an informed public.”
Published: Feb 17, 2026 01:30 am