Snack food and packaged food giants, which have endured years of rising prices, are now positioning themselves as protectors of shoppers' wallets, warning Wednesday that government crackdowns on food additives could lead to even higher grocery bills.
The turnaround marks a new industry response to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign: Don't argue about dyes and chemicals—argue about cost. Food manufacturers and their trade groups have stepped up lobbying and created a new coalition demanding Washington roll back state-by-state regulations, Politico reported. (RELATED: Judge ends food coloring ban championed by RFK Jr.)
“President Trump is cutting costs and delivering real help to working families, but these well-intentioned government bills create a patchwork of labeling rules that could undermine his goal of lowering costs for Americans,” Andy Koenig, senior adviser to Americans on Ingredient Transparency, told Politico.
With the latest approval of a natural blue dye from gardenia fruit, @US_FDA encourages a shift away from petroleum-based synthetic dyes to safer natural alternatives, the fourth such approval since early May. Thanks for your guidance, @DrMakaryFDA. pic.twitter.com/zymwjxl9cJ
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) July 15, 2025
The availability announcement comes after the same companies carried out aggressive price increases during the era of inflation. PepsiCo — the parent company of Frito-Lay brands such as Doritos and Cheetos — said it would stop raising prices in 2023 after “several rounds of price increases” in the previous year. according to to Reuters. Kraft Heinz is also betting on pricing, with the company planning additional price increases on snacks and condiments in 2022 to offset rising costs. reported.
Now the industry is trying to deliver the next blow to Kennedy-centric regulation. Politico reported that companies and trade groups launched Americans for Ingredient Transparency in late October, warning that a “patchwork” of government regulations would drive up consumer spending.
Kennedy, for his part, said big brands are “loading food with chemicals,” citing ingredient lists for French fries and instant cereal at his confirmation hearing.
