Nutrition reforms, while long a part of the public health conversation, may also be politically and bureaucratically unrealistic, some experts say.
“It’s a lot more complicated than he thinks,” Dr. Lurie said. “These are real issues, and you’re going to face industry resistance every step of the way.”
First, the FDA has no authority over the catch-all “ultra-processed food”, several former officials have told the BBC.
Instead, they said the process is more complicated. Both the USDA and the FDA regulate the food industry. The FDA doesn’t make the rules — it enforces policies passed by Congress and works to limit junk food by imposing restrictions and labeling on certain nutrients, such as sodium and saturated fat.
Kennedy’s comments “make for great political rhetoric,” Ms. Garner said. “In my view, I don’t see how that could be possible without drastic changes in other policies and infrastructure.”
He will also face industry backlash for proposals to ban pesticides and genetically modified organisms commonly used by American farmers, former FDA officials said.
“Businesses are going to complain,” said Rosalie Lizynski, a former FDA official of 33 years.
The industry has grown accustomed to limited oversight from both Democrats and Republicans — including during Trump’s first term — while many of Kennedy’s goals would include even more regulations.
Several food industry groups met with lawmakers before Kennedy’s nomination this month to lobby against him, Politico reported last month.
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said this week that he plans to meet with Kennedy before his confirmation hearing and “spend a lot of time educating him on agriculture.”
Kennedy’s stance also contrasts with President-elect Trump, a longtime fast-food fan who worked to roll back stricter school lunch requirements during his first term.
“You get some ideas that make some sense, but they are exactly the kind of ideas that this administration is hostile to,” Dr. Lurie said.
In a statement to the BBC, the Food Industry Association, which represents food retailers, manufacturers and producers such as General Mills, said it looked forward to working with the Trump team to “ensure that food and drug policy continues to be based on science, to reduce regulatory complexity’.
Industry complaints about Kennedy’s agenda are not a surprise, said Jeff Hutt, a spokesman for the Make America Healthy Again political action committee, which is urging Republican lawmakers to confirm Kennedy.
The goal of the health movement, Mr. Hutt said, is to “prioritize America’s well-being over corporate profits.”
“Even if the idea of banning ultra-processed food is politically impossible, it’s a conversation we have to have,” he said.
