FDA Comm Makary Highlights Importance Of RFK Jr's Food Dye Ban: 'Toxic Soup Of Synthetic Chemicals'

Forbes Breaking News

On Tuesday, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary spoke about HHS Secretary RFK Jr.'s ban on synthetic food dyes.

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00:00Thank you, Deputy Commissioner DiMontis.

00:03Good afternoon, Mr. Secretary, Dr. Bhattacharya, Governor, Speaker,

00:08the many Maha Moms and the kids here supporting the effort.

00:11Thank you for being here.

00:14That's great.

00:20Today, the FDA is taking action to remove petroleum-based food dyes

00:25from the U.S. food supply and from medications.

00:27For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living

00:33in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals.

00:37The scientific community has conducted a number of studies raising concerns

00:41about the correlation between petroleum-based synthetic dyes

00:45and several health conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,

00:51obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, cancer, genomic disruption,

00:56GI issues, as I've seen in the hospital, and allergic reactions.

01:02For example, this Lancet study conducted a randomized, double-blinded,

01:10placebo-controlled study on food dyes and concluded that artificial colors

01:16in the diet, quote, result in increased hyperactivity.

01:20So why are we taking a gamble?

01:26Parents, moms, and dads have also tried to raise attention to the issue.

01:31Some parents have observed that these chemicals cause hyperactivity

01:34and even aggressive behavior, and that it subsides when the chemicals are removed

01:39from the diet of the child, and sometimes even reoccurs when those petroleum-based

01:45chemical dyes are reintroduced.

01:49As I know from my experience, taking care of children as a doctor,

01:53you have to always listen to the mom.

01:59Other studies have found that artificial colors that create vibrant colors

02:04mess with the child's developing brain

02:06to make ultra-processed foods more attractive,

02:10even when the child already feels full.

02:15These studies have associated food colors directly with obesity and diabetes.

02:21While America's children are sick and suffering,

02:2541% of children have at least one health condition,

02:30and one in five are on medication.

02:32The answer is not more ozempic, more ADHD medication, and more antidepressants.

02:40There's a role for those medications,

02:42but we have to look at underlying root causes.

02:47The F in FDA stands for food.

02:51Now, there's no one ingredient that accounts for the child chronic disease epidemic.

02:56And let's be honest,

02:57taking petroleum-based food dyes out of the food supply

03:00is not a silver bullet that will instantly make America's children healthy.

03:04But it is one important step.

03:07This administration is not interested

03:09in continuing down the path

03:12of doing the same old things

03:13as we watch our nation's children get sicker.

03:17We need fresh, new approaches.

03:22Cancer and diabetes in young people

03:24is going up at an alarming rate,

03:26and nobody seems to know why.

03:28We have to turn our attention

03:31to underlying causes,

03:33such as chemicals and toxins

03:36that children are exposed to,

03:37not just more insulin and chemotherapy.

03:42And let's not forget

03:43that the best way to lower drug prices

03:45is to stop taking drugs we don't need.

03:4930 states concerned about this very issue

03:55have introduced bills or laws

03:58with a patchwork of standards for food companies.

04:02So the food industry,

04:03which has many good people,

04:05has asked for clarity.

04:08So today the FDA is taking the following steps.

04:11Number one,

04:11establishing a national standard and timeline

04:14for the food industry

04:15to transition from petroleum-based food dyes

04:18to natural alternatives.

04:20Number two,

04:21initiating a process

04:23to revoke authorization

04:24of synthetic food colorings,

04:26including those not in production,

04:28namely citrus, red, number two,

04:30and orange bee,

04:31within the coming weeks.

04:34Number three,

04:34taking steps to eliminate

04:36the remaining six synthetic dyes

04:39on the market

04:40from the U.S. food supply.

04:42Specifically,

04:43red dye number 40,

04:44yellow dye number five,

04:45yellow dye number six,

04:46blue dye number one,

04:48blue dye number two,

04:49and green dye number three

04:50by the end of next year.

05:01We are also requesting food companies

05:05to remove red dye number three

05:06sooner than the 2027-2028 deadline

05:11previously announced.

05:13These steps that we are taking

05:15means that the FDA

05:17is effectively removing

05:19all petroleum-based food dyes

05:21from the U.S. food supply.

05:32For companies that are currently using

05:35petroleum-based red dye,

05:39try watermelon juice

05:41or beet juice.

05:49For companies currently combining

05:52petroleum-based yellow chemical

05:54and red dyes together,

05:57try carrot juice.

05:59The FDA is also announcing plans today

06:05to authorize four additional

06:08natural color additives

06:09using natural ingredients

06:11in the coming weeks,

06:12while also accelerating

06:14the review and approval

06:15of other natural ingredient colors.

06:18I want to take a moment

06:20to thank America's food manufacturers.

06:23Many have been extremely cooperative.

06:26There are many good people

06:27in food manufacturing,

06:29delivering on the needs

06:30of the American public,

06:31and they have done exactly

06:34what we have asked them to do.

06:36A hundred years ago,

06:37we asked them to focus

06:40on mass food production

06:41to solve food insecurity.

06:44Now, given our child

06:47chronic disease epidemic,

06:48an enormous suffering

06:50and cost that has ensued,

06:51we have to come together

06:53to address the new problem.

06:55That's right,

06:55we have to come together.

06:59If we can get beyond

07:00the tribalism in our society,

07:03rampant in our culture,

07:05we will realize

07:06that we all want

07:08the same things.

07:11Republican, Democrat,

07:13and independent moms

07:14showed up in high numbers

07:16to vote for President Trump

07:18on this very issue

07:20that Secretary Kennedy

07:21has championed.

07:22Moms across America

07:25have spoken

07:26and they want

07:27more honesty

07:28and humility

07:30from our nation's

07:32healthcare leaders.

07:34And if we're being honest,

07:37ADHD is not

07:38a genetic problem

07:39and our obesity epidemic

07:42is not a willpower problem.

07:44It's something that

07:46adults have done

07:47to children.

07:48I was reading

07:50a New England Journal

07:51of Medicine article

07:52recently,

07:54came out in January,

07:55referring to the

07:56chronic disease epidemic

07:57in children,

07:58specifically

07:59infertility,

08:03diabetes,

08:03obesity,

08:04attention deficit disorder,

08:05and many other

08:06health problems.

08:08And it referred

08:09to that group

08:10of problems

08:11with an interesting term.

08:12It called them

08:14non-communicable

08:15diseases

08:16of children.

08:18Non-communicable

08:20diseases.

08:22Well, actually,

08:22they are communicable.

08:25But they're not getting,

08:25kids are not getting

08:26these diseases

08:27from viruses

08:28or bacteria.

08:29They're getting them

08:30from using their phones

08:31and ultra-processed foods

08:33and chemicals

08:34and toxins

08:35that we have introduced

08:36into their world.

08:39Gandhi once said,

08:41Gandhi once said,

08:43the true mark

08:44of a society

08:45can be found

08:46in how it treats

08:47its most vulnerable

08:49members,

08:50including children.

08:54Secretary Kennedy

08:55has said

08:56that he would

08:58instruct the FDA

08:59to examine

08:59concerning ingredients

09:01in the nation's

09:02food supply,

09:02and today,

09:03we are delivering

09:04on that promise.

09:11To be clear,

09:16the transition

09:16from petroleum-based

09:18food dyes

09:19to natural ingredient

09:22food dyes

09:22will not increase

09:24food prices.

09:26We know that

09:27from other countries

09:28that have already

09:28made the transition.

09:30It's not an opinion.

09:33Today's announcement

09:34fulfills the administration's

09:35promise to use both

09:37gold standard science

09:38and common sense.

09:48For the last 50 years,

09:50we have been running

09:53one of the largest

09:55uncontrolled

09:56scientific experiments

09:57in the world

09:59on our nation's children

10:01without their consent.

10:02And today,

10:05we are removing

10:06these petroleum-based

10:08chemicals

10:08from their food supply.

10:17In summary,

10:19we are simply asking

10:20American food companies

10:22to replace

10:23petroleum-based

10:24food dyes

10:24with natural ingredients

10:26for American children

10:28just as they already do

10:30for children

10:32in other countries.

10:34American children

10:35deserve good health.

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