RFK Jr.'s No. 1 hurdle to take on unhealthy food: Money

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to transform America’s food system, vowing to crack down on foods and ingredients he blames for many of the nation’s ills, including ultra-processed foods and food additives.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to transform America’s food system, vowing to crack down on foods and ingredients he blames for many of the nation’s ills, including ultra-processed foods and food additives.

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Kennedy to be his nominee for secretary of health and human services; if he is confirmed, he would manage a sprawling department that includes 13 agencies that play major roles in Americans' health. Among those agencies is the Food and Drug Administration.

Kennedy holds a number of controversial views when it comes to public health, including anti-vaccine activism. However, experts generally agree that his stances on food and nutrition are commendable.

Still, he’s likely to face a major hurdle: money. 

The FDA’s food division, poised to play a significant role in Kennedy’s ambitions, operates on a tight budget. Unlike the agency’s drug division, which sustains itself largely through user fees charged to pharmaceutical companies when they apply for drug approval, its food division relies more heavily on funding from Congress, said Jerold Mande, a former FDA senior adviser and former deputy undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture. (Separately, Kennedy has suggested he wants to end user fees, arguing the system creates a conflict of interest.)

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rfk-jrs-no-1-hurdle-take-unhealthy-food-money-rcna180365

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