By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-29 16:50:23 | Updated at 2024-11-29 19:28:31
2 hours ago
Mark Smucker, CEO of Twinkies and Uncrustables maker JM Smucker, issued a firm warning to RFK Jr on ultra-processed foods
Twinkies bosses have issued a stark warning to Robert F Kennedy Jr about his strict views on ultra-processed foods.
Earlier this month, RFK Jr was handpicked by President-Elect Donald Trump to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services.
The nomination has sparked concern from health officials for the former presidential candidate's proposed policies, such as stripping fluoride from drinking water and claiming vaccines cause autism.
Among the sweeping measures, Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda has proposed limiting access to soda and processed foods through school lunches due to alleged 'chemical poisons' in them.
He has also advocated for banning artificial food colorings and pesticides and is an outspoken critic of weight loss drugs like Ozempic, insisting Americans focus on dietary changes to treat diabetes and obesity.
Mark Smucker, CEO of Twinkies and Uncrustables maker JM Smucker, said this week in a call with financial analysts: 'We believe very strongly that snacking continues.
'Consumers are going to continue to look for a way to reward themselves at different times throughout the day.'
While Mr Smucker is confident Americans will continue buying ultra-processed products like Twinkies, he noted that the company may adjust some of its product ingredients to accommodate consumers on weight loss medications like Ozempic.
One of the most famous advocates for raw milk, Robert F Kennedy Jr., has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be secretary of Health and Human Services
RFK Jr has voiced concern over additives like Red 40 and Yellow 5, both of which are listed on the Twinkies ingredient label
He said: 'We continue to do an ongoing research on the impact of GLP-1 trends and what that might mean for our business.
'We could look at reducing sugar. There’s a whole variety of innovations that we will bring to bear.'
Kennedy still has to be confirmed by the Senate before he can be appointed HHS secretary. It's also unclear what his specific policies will entail if he is confirmed.
He has, however, expressed interest in limiting additives like Yellow 5, Red 40, and high fructose corn syrup, all of which are listed on the Twinkies ingredient label.
Red 40 and Yellows 5 and 6 are dyes used to give processed foods like Twinkies their bright colors.
They have been theorized to exacerbate attentional problems in children, leading EU regulators to mandate that product makers say dyes could cause ‘an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.’
A 2021 report from California's Environmental Protection Agency also linked artificial dyes to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems' in some children, particularly those with ADHD or other existing behavioral disorders.
Red 40 as well as Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 also contain benzidene, a human and animal carcinogen permitted in low levels.
According to the FDA, ingestion of free benzidine raises the cancer risk to just under the ‘concern’ threshold, or one cancer in 1 million people.
Some states have taken steps to ban these additives, such as California signing the California School Food Safety Act earlier this year. The measure outlaws Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 in meals, drinks, and snacks served in most K-12 school cafeterias across the state.
