President-elect Donald Trump declared that Robert F. Kennedy will have a substantial role in shaping America’s food policy during Trump’s second administration. Kennedy’s tentative plans to “make America healthy again” include reducing pesticide-intensive agriculture and banning certain food additives. He also signaled that, if given the authority, he would reform the Food and Drug Administration to ensure Americans’ access to safe and healthy food. Kennedy’s proposals have received significant backlash from public health officials and agricultural sector groups who claim that his policies “are not based on science” and could “upend the existing US food system.” Volume XLVIII staff editor Nickolas G. Erickson argues that Kennedy’s proposals closely resemble the EU’s consumer-first approach to food regulation. This post compares the EU’s and US’ regulatory states and explores the scientific backing of Kennedy’s and the EU’s food policies.
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