A Major Reinvention of Food Policy May Be Coming. Is That Good News?

Activists and consumers who believe food regulations in the U.S. need to be overhauled are getting excited right now. The recent media spotlight has been on President-elect Trump's pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. In the past, he has been a vocal vaccine-skeptic and blames the food industry for the “mass poisoning of American children” through food ingredients and additives. His appointment, if confirmed by the Senate, will likely affect everything from the legality of food additives to the use of pesticides on farms.

On a less controversial note, the mobile app Yuka is adding a new feature that allows people to report food and cosmetic products for being unhealthy. The app is a wonderful companion while shopping in a grocery store (I use it all the time) to determine what foods have potentially harmful additives. Their newest feature allows you to now report those additives directly to companies as a way to inspire them to change, and the app has been getting results.

This combination of tools to allow easier activism from consumers and a government appointee potentially in a position of power who holds extreme views on this topic could create a domino effect that will dramatically shift food policy in the U.S. over the next several years. Will this deliver healthier food alternatives as promised, or replace a sometimes flawed system with an even more broken one?