U.S. Surgeon General Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared on Tuesday that “sugar is poisonous” in his latest push for the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
Kennedy made the remarks at a high-profile meeting of the Department of Health and Human Services filled with so-called “MAHA” moms and their children, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Although no one from the food industry attended the event, Kennedy said he had “reached an understanding” with major food manufacturers to remove petroleum-based food coloring from their products by 2026. However, no company has publicly agreed to these changes yet.
On the same day, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announced a voluntary commitment to remove certified artificial colors such as Red 3, Yellow 5 and Blue 1 from milk, cheese and yogurt sold in U.S. K-12 schools by July 2026 for the implementation of the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program.
“The Healthy School Dairy Pledge goes beyond state and federal regulations to help ensure that children in grades K-12 can continue to enjoy milk, cheese and yogurt that are free of any certified artificial colors,” said veterinarian Michael Dykes, IDFA president and CEO.
Kennedy’s comments follow recent guidance from the American Dental Association (ADA). The ADA praised a scientific report that will inform updates to federal dietary guidelines and highlighted the need to reduce sugar intake. The ADA also called for greater inclusion of oral health content in future reports.
“The ADA generally supports the findings and recommendations of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, including the brief mention of the bidirectional relationship between diet and oral health,” ADA President Dr. Brett Kessler wrote in a Feb. 10 letter to the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We are particularly pleased to see that the scientific report recognizes that reducing sugar and acid intake and drinking fluoridated water are safe and proven strategies for maintaining good oral health,” Kessler added.
The committee noted that the scope of research on oral disease, specific nutritional recommendations, eating disorders and five other topics has not expanded significantly since the 2020 report, meaning key dietary recommendations are unlikely to change in the upcoming 2025 guidelines.
Still, the American Diabetes Association praised the committee for identifying sugar as a major public health issue, citing current consumption trends.
“From a dental perspective, sugar intake, regardless of the amount, increases the risk of tooth decay,” the ADA wrote. “Even milk has measurable amounts of sugar.”
The ADA urges health officials to stick with the recommendation of less than 10 percent of daily calories from added sugars and to continue research into the direct cause-and-effect relationship between sugars and oral disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recommends that children and adults limit their intake of added sugars to less than 10 percent of their daily calories. To put that in perspective, a can of soda contains about 85 percent of your daily value, or about 10 teaspoons of sugar.
First published in 1980, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide science-based recommendations on how to eat and drink enough food and beverages to meet nutritional needs, prevent disease, and promote health. The guidelines are updated every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services based on recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
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