Lifestyle Sports: Latest from Food Politics: 60 Minutes: RFK Jr on non-regulation of ultra-processed food

By Marion Nestle

February 24 2026

60 Minutes: RFK Jr on non-regulation of ultra-processed food

On February 15, CBS News’ Bill Whitaker interviewed RFK Jr, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, and journalist Michael Pollan about ultra-processed foods and what to do about them.

As far as I am concerned, this is the money quote:

This is classic RFK Jr: put everything on personal responsibility, never mind how hard it is for people to resist eating unhealthfully in today’s food environment.

As I explained last August, David Kessler gave RFK Jr a gift. He sent him a letter presenting a Citizen’s Petition arguing that if the FDA wanted to help people reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods, all it had to do was to define ultra-processed foods as Not GRAS.

The FDA is required to respond to citizens’ petitions within 180 days.

During the 60 Minutes program, RFK Jr said:

We will act on– on David Kessler’s petition. And the questions that he’s asking are questions that FDA should’ve been asking a long, long time ago.

“Act on?” What does this mean?

Will the FDA act to regulate ultra-processed foods?

I will believe it when I see it.

Food Industry Comments (thanks to the invaluable Hagstrom Report)

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