Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ignited widespread backlash online after questioning whether high-sugar iced coffee drinks sold at Dunkin’ and Starbucks are safe.
As Fox Business reports, Kennedy said during an “Eat Real Food” rally in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 26, “We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it.” He added, “I don’t think they’re gonna be able to do it.”
The remarks quickly drew a response in Massachusetts, where Dunkin’ was founded and is considered a cultural staple. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey took to X to defend the iconic New England beverage, posting an image of a flag displaying the slogan, “Come and take it.”
While some users on X criticized Healey, arguing that she should promote healthier food standards, others rallied behind the governor amid concerns the administration could target their favorite drinks. “Maybe this regime needs to remember we take drinks VERY SERIOUSLY in New England,” one user wrote, alongside an image depicting the 1773 Boston Tea Party. Others swapped the “Don’t tread on me” motto with, “Donut tread on me.” One wrote, “Give me Dunkin or give me death!”
Said one Dunkin’ fan, “It is not the federal government’s role to single out businesses and tell them what to do outside of the realm of specific federal laws or adopted regulations. RFK is right about sugar and the majority of Americans already know that. Attacking a business functioning within all laws and regulations accomplished nothing except PR.”
Health and Human Services press secretary Emily Hilliard told Fox Business that Kennedy is on a “crusade to push Americans to reduce added sugar under the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which call for avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages and limiting added sugars to no more than 10 grams per meal.” She added, “Nobody is taking away popular products, but it fair to ask whether drinks with over 100 grams of sugar are safe for kids. Consumers have the right to know this safety information.” For their part, it appears that Dunkin and Starbucks have yet to publicly comment, instead letting it play out across social media.
MAHA Action, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, said in a statement after the event that Kennedy announced the closure of a loophole in the “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) food ingredient approval program, a long-standing regulatory pathway that allows companies to self-certify certain ingredients as safe. “Companies including Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks will be required to produce safety data they were supposed to have maintained. The reforms aim to ensure American foods follow the highest safety and nutritional standards globally,” the group said.
Kennedy began pushing to reform the GRAS system soon after his appointment and confirmation, according to The Boston Globe, which noted that the category was created so companies would not have to apply for approval to use common ingredients. However, over time, the system has expanded to include thousands of new ingredients, including those used in ultra-processed foods, the newspaper reported.
The renewed focus on sugary beverages comes as Kennedy has launched a broader effort to overhaul the nation’s food supply.
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