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 this 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."
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."
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."
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