Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed a government-funded meal delivery company as a health solution, even though its offerings include ultraprocessed foods he regularly criticizes.
Amanda Seitz and Jonel Aleccia report for The Associated Press.
In short:
- Kennedy praised Mom’s Meals for delivering “additive-free” meals to Medicaid and Medicare recipients, calling it a model for improving American health.
- Nutrition experts reviewing the menu found the meals to be ultraprocessed, containing chemical additives and high levels of sodium, sugar, or saturated fat.
- The company disputes claims that its meals are unhealthy but did not directly address concerns about ultraprocessing.
Key quote:
“It is perfectly possible to make meals like this with real foods and no ultra-processing additives but every one of the meals I looked at is loaded with such additives.”
— Marion Nestle, food policy expert and nutritionist at New York University
Why this matters:
Ultraprocessed foods now dominate the American diet, making up more than half of all calories consumed in the U.S. These foods are linked to a range of chronic health conditions, including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Though often marketed as healthy or convenient, many of these products are engineered for long shelf life and taste appeal at the expense of nutritional value. When federal programs like Medicaid and Medicare fund such meals, especially for vulnerable populations, it raises concerns about reinforcing unhealthy dietary patterns with public dollars. The tension between food industry marketing, public policy, and actual health outcomes is central to understanding America’s nutrition crisis.
Related: Op-Ed: The outsized role processed food plays in our health and environment
