Kennedy, White House officials to revive food policy talks next week: Politico

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to meet with senior White House officials next week to discuss the status of U.S. food policy as part of a revived push to define ultra-processed foods, Politico reported on Saturday.

Discussions among officials have gathered pace over recent weeks after a pause this summer, according to three Trump administration officials who were granted anonymity to disclose internal conversations.

Previously, Kennedy promised to get a definition for ultra-processed foods “by April” and follow up with a system for food grading in a move that could tighten regulation on packaged offerings such as chips and sodas.

In August, the HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture submitted the federal government’s first proposed definition of ultra-processed foods for final review as a white paper, which, however, fell short of being a legally enforceable rule.

The discussions come less than two weeks into the midterm elections amid calls by Kennedy and many members of his Make America Healthy Again movement to include warning labels for ultra-processed foods.

HHS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comments.

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