In the Trump administration’s quest to “Make America Healthy Again,” there may be no bigger target than ultraprocessed foods. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s new health secretary, has cited “highly chemically processed foods” as a chief culprit behind an epidemic of chronic disease in the U.

The practice Kennedy is targeting, known as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), can occur when companies self-certify the safety of a food additive.

WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- The nation's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is taking steps to tighten oversight of chemicals in the U.S. food supply, a key component of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

Around 300 groups representing the food and agriculture sectors urged the Trump administration to use “sound, quality science” when seeking to improve the health of American citizens.

When participants ate the diet of ultraprocessed foods, they consumed about 500 calories per day more than when they ate unprocessed foods, researchers found — and they gained a