Ex-FDA Chief David Kessler Seeks to Regulate 'Big Food' Like Tobacco

Petition to Reclassify Processed Food Ingredients

• 💡 Dr. David Kessler, former FDA Commissioner, is filing a formal petition to reclassify processed refined carbohydrates (sweeteners, flours, starches) as no longer generally recognized as safe (GRAS).
• 🎯 This designation has allowed food companies to operate under a loophole, effectively setting their own safety standards for nearly half a century.

Health Impacts of Ultra-Processed Foods

• ⚠️ Kessler argues that these refined additives are directly linked to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer.
• 📊 The CDC reports that over half of the American diet, including most children's meals, now consists of ultra-processed foods.
• 📉 He points to the fact that only 12.2% of Americans are metabolically healthy as evidence of the damage being done by current food practices.

Comparing 'Big Food' to 'Big Tobacco'

• 🚀 Kessler likens the potential regulation of the food industry to the successful efforts against big tobacco during his tenure at the FDA.
• 🤝 He is aligning with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in this fight, despite Kessler's past role in the COVID-19 vaccine response.
• ⚖️ The core of his argument is that the food industry, like tobacco, has prioritized profits over public health by allowing harmful ingredients to be widely consumed.

Need for Regulation and Industry Change

• 🗣️ Kessler emphasizes the need to fundamentally rethink how foods are produced in the United States.
• 🚫 While some companies are voluntarily removing certain ingredients like food dyes due to pressure, Kessler believes formal regulation is necessary to address the systemic issues posed by ultra-processed foods.