Health

[Jeff_G]

IMO, a very important read, and one of the things Robert F Kennedy Jr. is getting right:

Human "biology was never intended to handle" ultraprocessed foods, former FDA head David Kessler warns
By Bill Whitaker, Sarah Koch
Updated on: February 15, 2026 / 7:20 PM EST / CBS News

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Today, an increasing number of Americans across the political spectrum – from Make America Healthy Again activists to everyday shoppers – are voicing concern about the health impact of ultraprocessed foods – those boxed and wrapped in plastic, ready-to-eat items lining grocery store shelves.

Leading the charge are two men who disagree on pretty much everything else about public health – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. David Kessler, the former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The two men have found common ground over a common culprit: a 67-year-old government classification for substances in our food. It's called GRAS, or generally recognized as safe. Kennedy and Kessler say it has allowed big food companies to use ingredients without a full government safety review and flood the market with ultraprocessed foods that now make up 50% of our calories and 60% of our children's diets.

David Kessler: Over the last 40 years, the United States has been exposed to something that our biology was never intended to handle. Energy-dense, highly palatable, rapidly absorbable, ultraprocessed foods that have altered our metabolism and have resulted in the greatest increase in chronic disease in our history. Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, abnormal lipids, fatty liver, heart attacks, stroke, heart failure.

Bill Whitaker: From our food 

David Kessler: From our food. 

David Kessler was commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during the 1990s when he helped expose how the tobacco companies manipulated nicotine levels to hook consumers. 

He was a driving force in bringing tobacco executives before Congress and turning public attention to the industry. He's now aiming to do the same with the food industry.

Bill Whitaker: In terms of a public health crisis, how does this compare with tobacco? 

David Kessler: It's as large, if not larger.  

Bill Whitaker: It's that significant? 

David Kessler: The scale of this-- this affects everybody. Understand, not everybody smoked. But look at the number of people who consume ultraprocessed food. It touches all of us. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: 70% of Americans are either obese or overweight, and it's not because they got indolent or because we became lazy or because we suddenly developed giant appetites. It's because We're being given food that is low in nutrition and high in calories and it's making – it's destroying our health

We met with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last month after he issued new dietary guidelines that for the first time advise against highly processed foods.

Bill Whitaker: You have said that these ultraprocessed foods are poisoning us. I think many Americans would be surprised to hear that.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: We're seeing in our population people who are obscenely obese and at the same time malnourished 

Kennedy says that's largely because we don't know the health consequences of what we're eating - thanks to the GRAS exemption enacted by Congress in 1958 that allows food companies to independently verify the safety of their ingredients with no government oversight if they are generally recognized by experts as safe. Pending White House approval, he intends to close that backdoor. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: That loophole was hijacked by the industry, and it was used to add thousands upon thousands of new ingredients into our food supply. In Europe there's only 400 legal ingredients. This agency does not know how many ingredients there are in American food. 

Bill Whitaker: They do not know.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: They do not know. The estimates are between 4,000 and 10,000. We have no idea what they are.

Bill Whitaker: How do we know what is safe to eat? 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: There is--  no way for any American to know if a product is safe if it is ultraprocessed.  

What author Michael Pollan thinks we should and shouldn't eat
For his part, David Kessler is petitioning Kennedy to go further and outright revoke the GRAS status for dozens of processed refined carbohydrates – sweeteners and starches such as corn syrup and maltodextrin - unless the companies can prove they are safe and not fueling obesity.

David Kessler: They took starch, right? Those cheap, easy calories. And they converted those into a whole panoply of ingredients, that it was able to reassemble. And those products are so rapidly absorbed in our system that it caused metabolic havoc. 

David Kessler: - they target the brain reward circuits that keep us coming back for more. They, they trigger overeating. They deprive us of any sense of fullness.

Bill Whitaker: What we all call empty calories 

David Kessler: -- those calories are not just empty. They're ending up in your liver, and that fat in your liver is gonna migrate into other organs. And it's the cause of cardiometabolic disease. 

Kessler, a pediatrician, filed his petition with the FDA after zeroing in on GRAS ingredients listed in plain sight on the backs of packaged foods.

David Kessler: Pick up any one of these products. You ever look at the-- the ingredient label?  

Bill Whitaker: A lot of 'em are things I can't even pronounce. 

David Kessler: Right. Is that food? Corn syrup, corn solids, maltodextrin, dextrose, xylose, high-fructose corn syrup. And then these ingredients were subjected to industrial processing so that our system can't handle it. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: We will act on-- on David Kessler's petition. And the questions that he's asking are questions that FDA should've been asking a long, long time ago.

Kennedy told us he will use gold standard science to review GRAS ingredients. but his credibility on that score has been widely called into question because of his history of vaccine skepticism and his agency's revision of the childhood vaccine schedule.

Bill Whitaker: Are you concerned at all that your stance on vaccines might make people reluctant to support you on ultraprocessed foods? 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: My stance on vaccines is the same. People should have food science and they should have choice. 

Bill Whitaker: Some doctors worry that-- the new immunization schedule sows confusion and will lead some Americans not to vaccinate their children 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: People who wanna get those vaccines can get them and they can get them fully insured.

David Kessler: The secretary and I, you know, we disagree on a number of issues, I mean, in the strongest possible terms. When it comes to vaccines I disagree. But if he's willing to take action on these ultraprocessed foods, I will be the first-- to applaud that. 

Bill Whitaker: If you don't trust him on vaccines, why trust him when it comes to ultraprocessed foods?

David Kessler: I don't think it's a question of trust, Bill. I mean, this country is ill. I'm a doc I care about the public health of this country. And if we can make progress on that, let's do that

In December, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed a landmark lawsuit against 10 manufacturers of ultraprocessed foods alleging that, like the tobacco companies, they knowingly engineered and marketed addictive, dangerous products while hiding the risks and causing a public health crisis. 

Consumer Brands Association and American Farm Bureau Federation statements to 60 Minutes
The Consumer Brands Association, one of the largest trade groups representing the food industry, declined to respond to us about the lawsuit. But in a statement to 60 Minutes, said there is no "agreed upon scientific definition of ultraprocessed foods" and "companies adhere to the rigorous evidence-based safety standards and nutrition policy established by the FDA to deliver safe, affordable and convenient products that consumers depend on every day." 

We met with food author Michael Pollan, who for decades has been warning about inexpensive, factory-processed food.

Michael Pollan: Granola bars, those look very healthy all of these would qualify as ultraprocessed foods--

Bill Whitaker: All of them?

Michael Pollan: --even though they're very different. This-- you know, we have a snack good-- couple of snack foods.

Bill Whitaker: Even the Nature Valley?

Michael Pollan: I would argue, because of the number of-- ingredients in it. So there's a lot of sugar in here

Bill Whitaker: But this is sold as a health food. 

Michael Pollan: Yeah, a health food. 

Pollan commends Kennedy for shining a light on ultraprocessed foods. He ties their ubiquity to longstanding federal farm subsidies.

Michael Pollan: We subsidize as taxpayers, through the Farm Bill, the least healthy calories in the diet.

Michael Pollan: Most of which goes to people farming corn and soybeans

Bill Whitaker: What's wrong with corn and soybeans? 

Michael Pollan: When you hear corn and soy you think food. This is not corn on the cob. This is commodity corn

Bill Whitaker: It's not the sweet corn we eat in the summer? 

Michael Pollan: No. You can't eat it, in fact. It's all starch, big cobs. You'd break your teeth on it. And then soy, which is not, in the form we grow it as a commodity, is not edamame. You can't eat it. These are raw ingredients for processed foods and animal feed. 

Bill Whitaker: So the-- the government is subsidizing crops that are making us unhealthy? 

Michael Pollan: Sick. Yes. Yeah. And one way to look at it is we are supporting both sides in the war on type 2 diabetes. We are-- we're subsidizing the high fructose corn syrup that's contributing to causing it. And then we're paying for the healthcare costs. I mean, it makes no sense at all. 

In a statement, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest general farm organization in the U.S., told us: "[a] healthy diet relies on a variety of nutrient-dense foods and a balance of healthy fats, carbohydrates, protein and fiber, some of which can come from shelf-stable foods"

Bill Whitaker: Why are there not subsidies to produce more of the healthy foods?

Michael Pollan: Cheap food is the goal of all governments. If you were to remove these corn subsidies there is concern that the price of corn would raise. And that would be a problem for the whole food industry, which, of course, is a very powerful lobby, and would be a problem for the consumer, conceivably.

Bill Whitaker: When you're taking on ultraprocessed foods, you're also taking on powerful industries, Big Ag, Big Food. What makes you believe you will prevail? 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: My belief that I will prevail is because we have the president behind us.

Bill Whitaker: But the president has shown himself to be-- pretty much against regulations. So, why would he support regulating ultraprocessed foods?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Well, I'm not saying that we're going to regulate ultraprocessed food. Our job is to make sure that everybody understands what they're getting, to have an informed public.

Bill Whitaker: There are Americans who live in so-called food deserts with little access to whole foods. And these are foods that many of them can't afford anyway. So how do you speak to that American? 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: We are laser-focused on making all of these foods affordable and accessible to every American. 

The Consumer Brands Association told us the GRAS process enables companies to "innovate to meet consumer demand" and that "food companies adhere to FDA's science and risk-based evaluation of ingredients[...]before and after they are in the marketplace." David Kessler says that's not enough.

David Kessler: We changed how this country views tobacco. We need to change how this country views these ultraprocessed foods.

Bill Whitaker: Would you like to see the CEOs of big food companies come before Congress and raise their hand and be questioned like the tobacco industry was?

David Kessler: I'd like them to understand the consequences of what they are doing and to do something about it.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ultraprocessed-foods-rfk-jr-and-david-kessler-60-minutes-transcript/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab5j&linkId=907174744

 

 

[Mike J]

Unfortunately our bodies are hard wired to seek and consume foods that are dense in calories and/or salt.   Sugar and salt were difficult to find as in early homo evolution.  Survival depended on getting enough calories and salt.  Our brain and palette still tell us those items taste good and are desirable.  Manufacturers and vendors supply those food items that people want to buy.  That is why corn syrup and salt are added to so much processed food.   Healthy eating habits are going to require education and time.  I think progress is being made to some extent for choices as the processed food/drinks manufactures increasing offer 'lite' and 'low sodium' alternatives of food and beverages.

[Tommy T.]

38 minutes ago, Mike J said:

I think progress is being made to some extent for choices as the processed food/drinks manufactures increasing offer 'lite' and 'low sodium' alternatives of food and beverages.

Yeah... seriously, when I buy Spam at the market, I always buy the Spam Lite version... Golly, that makes me feel sooo healthy!

[JJReyes]

Hawaii is the Spam capital of the world.

Parents never make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for their kids to take to school.  It's always Spam Musubi (spam, rice and a seaweed wrapper).

Driving through the East Coast, we came across, stopped and visited Hormel's Spam Museum.  

[Jeff_G]

27 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Spam

I can honestly say, I dont think I have ever bought spam in my entire life.

[Snowy79]

I'd seriously take anything RFK says health wise with a pinch of salt ( excuse the pun). 

I've been following a nutrition professor for a few years and she regularly comments on his policies. In short he's gaslighting and making comments that his supporters love without actually doing anything. 

With processed foods for instance she highlights there is not a recognised legal definition of what is processed and ultra processed food. She also highlights that some ultra processed foods are the most nutritious food you can get. 

Similarly with his food pyramid, he keeps saying he's flipped it on its head, for the first time the pyramid is concentrating on real food and how bad the old one was. She points out the old food pyramid hasn't been used for over two decades and it covered real food but very few people followed it, it was then fully changed with My Plate in 2011 which at its core was eat real food, the same percentage of fats, proteins and carbohydrates but from healthier sources than RFKs which pushes dairy and meat ( interestingly the authors were lobbied by the meat and dairy industry). My Plate also highlighted the dangers of alcohol and that was removed to appease the alcohol industry. 

He also lies about how many chemicals the US uses compared to the EU. The EU in reality uses more chemicals that are banned in the US but she highlights many ingredients banned aren't banned due to science but public opinion. 

I'd check her out, Her name is Professor Melanie Mathieu. 

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSHBRwMBJ/

[Jeff_G]

25 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

I'd seriously take anything RFK says health wise with a pinch of salt

As do I.  However, regarding Ultra Processed Foods, there are very serious health risks associated with eating/eating too much.   

 

27 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

processed foods for instance she highlights there is not a recognised legal definition of what is processed and ultra processed food. She also highlights that some ultra processed foods are the most nutritious food you can get. 

I dont know if there is a legal definition, and to that I would say who gives a crap.  There is, however, a recognized scientific definition:  "NOVA classification system, which categorizes foods into four groups based on the extent and purpose of industrial processing. "Ultra-processed foods" (UPFs) are industrial formulations, often containing five or more ingredients, that usually include substances not used in home cooking like hydrogenated oils, modified starches, and emulsifiers."

Key Aspects of the Scientific Definition:

• Ingredients: They often contain substances extracted from foods (e.g., casein, lactose, whey), lab-synthesized additives (colors, flavors, sweeteners), and emulsifiers.
• Purpose: They are engineered for high palatability and convenience, designed to be durable and often replacing freshly prepared food.
• Characteristics: These products are often high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats, while lacking fiber.
• Examples: Carbonated drinks, packaged snacks, mass-produced bread, confectionery, and pre-packaged frozen meals

33 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

Similarly with his food pyramid, he keeps saying he's flipped it on its head,

Agreed

33 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

how many chemicals the US uses compared to the EU.

My opinion, that is like arguing is it better to die falling off a cliff or drowning.   Spraying poison on our foods 50 60 years ago, when we didnt know better, is almost excusable.   Doing it now that we know the harm it causes, should be criminal.   Worst case it is morally reprehensible 

https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/07/ultra-processed-food--five-things-to-know.html

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-are-ultra-processed-foods

[fillipino_wannabe]

1 hour ago, Jeff_G said:

As do I.  However, regarding Ultra Processed Foods, there are very serious health risks associated with eating/eating too much.   

 

I dont know if there is a legal definition, and to that I would say who gives a crap.  There is, however, a recognized scientific definition:  "NOVA classification system, which categorizes foods into four groups based on the extent and purpose of industrial processing. "Ultra-processed foods" (UPFs) are industrial formulations, often containing five or more ingredients, that usually include substances not used in home cooking like hydrogenated oils, modified starches, and emulsifiers."

Key Aspects of the Scientific Definition:

• Ingredients: They often contain substances extracted from foods (e.g., casein, lactose, whey), lab-synthesized additives (colors, flavors, sweeteners), and emulsifiers.
• Purpose: They are engineered for high palatability and convenience, designed to be durable and often replacing freshly prepared food.
• Characteristics: These products are often high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats, while lacking fiber.
• Examples: Carbonated drinks, packaged snacks, mass-produced bread, confectionery, and pre-packaged frozen meals

Agreed

My opinion, that is like arguing is it better to die falling off a cliff or drowning.   Spraying poison on our foods 50 60 years ago, when we didnt know better, is almost excusable.   Doing it now that we know the harm it causes, should be criminal.   Worst case it is morally reprehensible 

https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/07/ultra-processed-food--five-things-to-know.html

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-are-ultra-processed-foods

It's like 2 seperate issues that get blended into 1 though. Processed foods make you fat vs processed foods are unhealthy even if you don't get fat (sweeteners,additives,pesticides etc)

[Jeff_G]

43 minutes ago, fillipino_wannabe said:

It's like 2 seperate issues that get blended into 1 though. Processed foods make you fat vs processed foods are unhealthy even if you don't get fat (sweeteners,additives,pesticides etc)

absolutely: bottom line is most ultra processed foods are bad for you, but it is not equal across the board.  There are some processed foods, when eaten in moderation, are not that bad, and could be considered healthy.  

[OnMyWay]

47 minutes ago, fillipino_wannabe said:

It's like 2 seperate issues that get blended into 1 though. Processed foods make you fat vs processed foods are unhealthy even if you don't get fat (sweeteners,additives,pesticides etc)

Yes, and individuals can be quite different in how they are impacted by food of any kind.  I have known people over the years who can eat anything, in large quantities, and remain thin.  However, they may have severe health issues, even if thin, usually later on in life.

Also a big factor is bad foods + sedentary lifestyle = double whammy.  And those two factors can feed on each other.