RFK Jr is coming for America's baby formula ingredients next

Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.

MAHA moms across the country have appealed to Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr about the state of baby formula in America long before he was a member of President Donald Trump's cabinet, and even before he launched his bid for president in 2023. In response, Kennedy launched "Operation Stork Speed" last spring and since has questioned executives from the leading U.S. baby formula manufacturers and held panels collecting input from scientists and pediatric doctors.

Nearly a year later, the FDA is planning to reveal the results of the ensuing studies, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, this spring. Kennedy alluded to coming changes during a speech in Pennsylvania last month. "We’re also revising the recommendation for nutrients -- right now there are 30 required nutrients. That list is 30 years old and it’s not based on good science. It’s archaic science," he told the audience during a wider discussion of the newly-introduced "Eat Real Food" campaign. 

The report is expected to address concerns about seed oils, corn syrup, added sugars, and heavy metals being used as ingredients in baby formula, substances MAHA moms have been vocal about wanting removed. In December, Consumer Reports tested 41 baby formula brands for the presence of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Consumer reports found varying degrees of toxins and heavy metals in different baby formulas, with some registering "concerning levels," the watchdog group noted.

According to The Wall Street Journal, seed oils are not likely to be removed from any new guidelines the RFK Jr's health department may issue later this year, due to the fact that the oils contain fats that are critical to an infant's early-stage growth. But baby formula makers and advocacy groups appear to be onboard with overhauling baby formula ingredient guidelines. One top formula manufacturer told the WSJ it supports the effort "to deliver a national strategy that prioritizes infant health." 

Tom Brenna, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, told the ESJ, “Operation Stork Speed brings infant formula regulations into the 2020s. The nutrition of every bottle-fed infant in America is at stake.”

Below, watch a clip of RFK Jr's remarks last month.