Pirate's Cove

Democrats, and Republicans, have long had an issue with ultra-processed foods. The liberal nags and climate cultists have especially had issues, when they aren’t defending obesity. But, you know, in the Age Of Trump with RKF, Jr at HHs

The ultraprocessed food makers have an answer for RFK Jr.

Makers of ultraprocessed food have struggled all year to find a message to counter Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s, that they are poisoning the American people. They think they’ve hit on one: Kennedy’s plans are going to make already enormous grocery bills even bigger.

Food manufacturers are making that case in an attempt to stop a wave of state moves to regulate food ingredients backed by Kennedy and his Make America Healthy Again movement. The companies think it’ll resonate, considering how affordability concerns dogged GOP candidates in this year’s elections and threaten to again in the higher-stakes 2026 midterms.

“The dynamic here is affordability,” said Sam Geduldig, managing partner at Republican lobbying firm CGCN, which represents Kraft Heinz, the Chicago-based maker of Oscar Mayer hot dogs and Kraft Mac & Cheese. “You have a MAHA movement that would like to accomplish one goal, and then you have an inflation, economic affordability issue on the other side that runs counter.”

See, MAHA is bad, because it could cause junk food prices to rise

At the same time, polls show Americans share Kennedy’s belief that consumption of ultraprocessed foods is making people sick. A survey from health research group KFF and the Washington Post in October found large majorities cite highly processed foods as a major threat to children’s health.

So, don’t feed them that food. Unfortunately, there is so much of it that it is hard to know

Calls for a federal standard that would preempt the states’ have prompted backlash from MAHA supporters and consumer advocates, who warn that leaving the decision to lawmakers in Washington, where the food lobby is powerful, will likely result in a weaker standard, or no change at all.

“A federal standard favors large multinational companies with a lot of money to lobby for less restrictive standards,” said Jennifer Galardi, a senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation focused on MAHA-aligned issues.

Well, there is the point of wondering whether the federal government, heck, state governments, should be regulating this stuff. If consumers want it, leave it alone. This certainly could be considered a case of too much government. Regardless, it is amusing to see Democrats and their pet media having fits over better food and making America healthy.