Chicken nuggets, highly-processed foods, food dyes and some
other additives are at risk under President Trump’s administration.
Nicholas Fereday, executive director of Rabobank, issued the
warning because the second MAHA report and updated federal dietary guidelines
are due out soon.
Fereday warned that United States Secretary for Health and
Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s policies will demoniz chicken nuggets
and other processed chicken products, as “ultra-processed.” Kennedy, in fact,
has called them “poison,” he noted.
It will be up to the industry’s lobbyists to convince the
administration of those products’ nutritional value.
“You need to use your influence to try and get him (Kennedy)
to view chicken nuggets in the way that he views bacon,” Fereday said.
“Some of this is highly personalized. For many people, bacon
… would be classified as an ultra-processed food, but Kennedy has breakfast
with bacon every morning, along with his eggs. And as far as he’s concerned,
it’s not ultra-processed food. So, you need to task whoever you know in D.C.
(Washington) to get that for your chicken nuggets, as well.”
Fereday said processors also are sure to see regulatory
reform around artificial dyes, additives, preservatives. Also likely on the
list for them to adapt to is regenerative agriculture, which while presenting
benefits also introduces inefficiencies in production.
Those worried that their ingredient lists are long should
know that there could be some “reverse engineering,” reverting to how food was
made a couple decades ago. Fereday likened it to going from a laptop to a
typewriter.
“We don’t want technology in our food; that’s what the MAHA
(Make America Healthy Again) movement is saying,” he said.
Fereday cautioning that the consumer protein craze won’t
continue forever, and so “more nuanced” marketing than just pushing higher
amounts of protein will be required. Think about, for example, the
completeness of animal protein versus plant-based proteins, he said.
