Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to eliminate a spate of artificial food dyes from the American food supply.
Most of these dyes, such as Red 40, serve no nutritional function and are purely used for visual appeal, as they can give highly processed foods a vibrancy that would otherwise be unnatural. Worse, these dyes can adversely affect health; evidence shows they can create neurobehavioral issues in children, contain potential carcinogens, and are petroleum-based. Just as some other countries have restricted these dyes, Kennedy is taking steps to do so.
The push to reclaim the country’s health has picked up steam over the past few years. Long before taking on his Cabinet role, Kennedy garnered attention by attacking America’s failed health standards, Big Pharma, vaccine data, and more. The Make America Healthy Again movement found its footing on these key issues and sought to change the broken status quo.
The Covid panic was a wake-up call. In the years following authoritarian lockdowns, the lies about the virus’ origin and the efficacy of social distancing, masking, and vaccine mandates were exposed. Many Americans realized the so-called experts might not have their best interests in mind. Arbitrary and unscientific diktats woke Americans up to the reality that their “health” could be used as a way to manipulate them.
The newfound awareness encouraged those who felt betrayed after Covid to become more involved in their personal health. This helped Kennedy and his MAHA movement gain traction and led to more open dialogue about autism, vaccines, and food additives. Removing artificial dyes would be a clear win, given their demonstrable risks. Calls for restricting seed oils and other chemicals in the food supply have also intensified. When the national burger chain Steak ‘n Shake switched to cooking its French fries with beef tallow instead of vegetable oil, Kennedy himself showed up to get an order.
However, outright banning these ingredients is just a temporary solution to a much larger problem. Americans don’t want the government telling them they can’t have their Pop-Tarts or Oreos anymore because they contain too many unpronounceable ingredients. That seems a bit counterintuitive to liberty. Just as people got upset when they were told to “trust the experts” during Covid, they will be upset when HHS bans half their grocery list and tells them again to “trust the experts.”
Kennedy is right to challenge the establishment, but good health can’t simply be mandated. The solution to America’s health crisis has to come from inside the house. People should be informed about the ingredients they consume and how things like gluten or soy might affect their digestion. They should learn how healthy fats, proteins, and carbohydrates affect their energy levels. They should pay attention to the amount of sugar they’re taking in daily. They should eat more real, whole foods and less processed junk.
Yes, it’s easier to warm up a frozen pizza than to find a local Italian place that uses fresh ingredients. It’s quicker to pick up a burger than to go home and cook one yourself. But good health isn’t forged through expedience. So look for real ingredients. Shop locally if you can. If you ask your local butcher what exactly is in the ribeye he’s holding, he will tell you: just cow. Your hometown baker won’t have a three-inch, ultra-fine-print list of ingredients. Her bread will simply use flour, yeast, water, and salt. Paying attention requires a personal time investment that some find irritating, but we can’t restore health and wellness to this country without it.
The government didn’t require Steak ‘n Shake to switch to frying in beef tallow — and it’s not the only national chain to ditch seed oils. Sweetgreen announced a “seed oil-free menu” at the beginning of the year too. It turns out, when more customers start looking for healthier options, more companies start shifting their offerings. The free market can spur a change that lasts the test of time and doesn’t require endless government legislation.
Fewer artificial dyes in food is great, but if Americans want to make their country healthy again, they can’t wait for the government to save them.
Brooke Brandtjen is a writer and journalist from Wisconsin who focuses primarily on culture, politics, and religion. She is extremely passionate about the arts and history, and is honored to write for a variety of distinguished publications.
