RFK Jr. Criticizes U.S. Food Industry on Fox, Vows to Reform With Trump’s Support
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently endorsed Donald Trump, appeared on “Fox & Friends Weekend” to outline his commitment to exposing the dangers within the U.S. food industry.
During his appearance, Kennedy highlighted the risks associated with seed oils, processed foods, and the pervasive influence of corporate interests over government regulators.
Kennedy also addressed the dangers posed by other common food additives and chemicals in the U.S. food supply, many of which are banned in Europe. He pointed out that “almost a thousand chemicals in our food” are prohibited across the Atlantic, while in the U.S., they remain widely used.
He specifically called out yellow food coloring, a petroleum product linked to depression, autoimmune injuries, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and red dye, which he described as similarly harmful.
In Europe, companies use natural coloring, but in the U.S., synthetic dyes persist due to what Kennedy alleges is widespread government corruption.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been captured by the industries they’re supposed to regulate,” Kennedy asserted. “And they all have an interest in subsidies and then mass poisoning the American public.”
Walmart Issues Recall of Apple Juice Sold in 25 States Over Elevated Arsenic Levels
Walmart and a Dutch manufacturer are voluntarily recalling apple juice sold under Walmart’s “Great Value” brand because of elevated levels of arsenic.
According to a notice updated Aug. 23 on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website, the recalled products were sold in states on the East Coast and in the southern United States, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. They came in 8-ounce sizes and sold in 6-pack plastic bottles.
The notice indicates the arsenic levels, at about 13 parts per billion (ppb), are slightly above the 10 ppb deemed safe to consume by the FDA.
Inorganic arsenic can usually be traced to contaminated drinking water, according to the FDA. Unlike naturally occurring arsenic, which is widespread at low levels, regular exposure to or consumption of inorganic arsenic can cause cancer and birth defects.
Baby’s First Junk Food: How Companies Prey on New Parents
Almost two-thirds of supermarket baby food is unhealthy while nearly all baby food labels contain misleading marketing claims designed to “trick” parents.
Those are the conclusions of an eyebrow-raising study in which researchers at Australia’s George Institute for Global Health analyzed 651 foods marketed for children ages 6 months to 36 months at 10 supermarket chains in the U.S.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients on Aug. 21, found that 60% of the foods failed to meet nutritional standards set by the World Health Organization.
“Research shows 50% of the sugar consumed from infant foods comes from pouches, and we found those were some of the worst offenders,” said Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, senior study author and an adjunct assistant professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Sales of such convenient baby food pouches soared 900% in the U.S. in the past 13 years, according to the study.
“These pouches are very worrisome. Children have to learn to chew, so they should be eating regular fruits, not pureed, sweetened things in a pouch.
Honeybees Found to Thrive Alongside Organic Farms and Annual Flowers
Organic farms offer ample food for honeybees along with protection from parasites, according to research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology on Aug. 20, an effort to quantify the most effective conservation measures for protecting the pollinators amid big agricultural operations.
“To promote honeybee colony health in agroecosystems, our results suggest that organic agriculture and annual flower strips should be prioritized conservation measures,” the researchers say in the study.
Although honeybees often form a symbiotic relationship with farmers, the iconic insect struggles to survive due to pesticide exposure and parasites associated with large-scale agriculture.
“The way that farmers cultivate their land has a major impact on nature,” said contributing author Robert Paxton, a professor of zoology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, in a statement. “Intensively farmed fields, pesticides and monocultures pose a threat to many animal and plant species. This is particularly true for pollinators, which include honeybees.”
How Gut Bacteria May Trigger Binge Eating and Weight Gain
If you’ve ever experienced symptoms of food addiction, like intense cravings for specific (usually unhealthy) foods or eating to the point that you feel sick, your gut bacteria could be to blame.
Both humans and mice who engage in compulsive eating share similar microbiome patterns, including an increase in Proteobacteria and a decrease in Actinobacteria and bacteria called Blautia.
The findings, published in the journal Gut, suggest that addressing your gut health may be instrumental in curbing binge eating and its associated weight gain.
“We speculate that the gut talks with the brain,” study author Elena Martin-Garcia, an associate professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, told NBC News.
“And that may change the function of some brain areas, such as the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in self-control.”
Here’s What It Means When Pre-Packaged Food Is Labeled ‘Clean’
When shopping at your local grocery store, you’re bound to come across numerous terms and buzzwords on food packaging. Should you encounter labels with the word “clean,” keep in mind there’s no clear definition of what clean means when it comes to food.
However, the term is often used to describe items that are minimally processed or aren’t processed at all, offer plenty of nutrients, and lack unnecessary additives such as excess sugar and salt.
Food labeled as clean falls into a similar category as those bearing the word “natural” on the label, which can also cause some confusion in the grocery aisle.
For instance, there’s a difference between natural and organic food labels, as the latter category is subject to specific federal standards designating how it’s produced and what ingredients are included.
Conversely, foods labeled as natural aren’t subject to the same rigorous standards.
While challenging, understanding what these labels are trying to communicate is important, as it affects your ability to knowledgeably choose items for your household.
