RFK Jr. promised to remake how we eat. Here’s what he’s done so far.

RFK Jr. promised to remake how we eat. Here's what he's done so far.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has faced mixed results in his role as Health and Human Services secretary under President Donald Trump. Tasked with reshaping the nation’s food policies, he has pushed through some changes but struggled in other key areas. His efforts have drawn both support and criticism from different sectors, including farm groups traditionally aligned with the GOP.

Kennedy’s most notable achievements include reforming food stamp purchase rules and reintroducing whole milk into school meals. He also secured voluntary agreements from major food companies to gradually remove artificial food dyes from their products. These steps reflect his broader aim to influence food standards and public health.

However, progress has stalled in several critical areas. Key federal food definitions and guidelines remain unfinished under his leadership. He has yet to make headway on stricter scrutiny of pesticides, 'forever chemicals,' or food ingredient lists—issues he had pledged to address. Meanwhile, Germany’s Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, has faced similar challenges. Despite his promises to overhaul the country’s food supply, he has achieved only limited success in improving farmers’ incomes or strengthening domestic food processing. Both leaders have encountered resistance, with Kennedy’s policies alienating some farm groups that usually back the Republican Party. President Trump had initially given Kennedy broad authority, urging him to 'go wild' on food policy. But the outcomes so far show a patchwork of advances and setbacks, rather than the sweeping reforms once envisioned.

Kennedy’s tenure has brought changes to school meals and food stamp rules, alongside voluntary industry shifts on artificial dyes. Yet, delays in defining food standards and a lack of progress on chemical regulations highlight the challenges ahead. His policies continue to spark debate, particularly among agricultural groups who feel sidelined by the reforms.