RFK Jr. unveils 'Make America Healthy Again' plan targeting food additives, vaccines and infertility

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday released a wide-ranging public health strategy, the Make America Healthy Again Initiative, that seeks to curb rising chronic disease in children through stricter food-safety rules, expanded vaccine research and new programs for women’s reproductive health.

The report lays out policy and regulatory changes including tighter oversight of food additives, improved labeling of ultra-processed foods, elimination of certain food dyes, closing the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) pathway for some ingredients, support for breastfeeding education, facilitation of raw milk sales for some farmers, and the creation of Infertility Training Centers to improve diagnosis and management of conditions that contribute to infertility. It also calls for NIH-led research to review the childhood vaccine schedule, modernize vaccines “with updated science,” study vaccine injuries and bolster transparency and independence in the vaccine safety system.

At a news briefing accompanying the report, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture described complementary steps, including a research framework for chemical exposures and assessments of contaminants such as microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to improve air and water quality. The strategy also proposes new USDA technical assistance to help states develop waivers that could restrict purchases of certain foods through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Kennedy called the chronic disease burden among children an "existential crisis" and said many ideas in the plan came from discussions with farmers, health professionals, teachers and families. "A lot of these things aren’t even thought about," he said, according to prepared remarks included with the release. The report cites research showing increases in a broad range of pediatric conditions and documents that between 10 million and 20 million U.S. children and adolescents live with a chronic condition, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The administration framed several specific targets. It seeks to end or narrow the GRAS policy that allows manufacturers to declare certain substances safe without mandatory, pre-market FDA review. Under current FDA rules, a product can be designated GRAS based on a company’s determination and does not always trigger formal agency review. The report said that reliance on private determinations can enable ingredients to enter the food supply without “an unbiased entity” independently assessing safety.

The plan named several ingredients that advocates have flagged for reconsideration, including aspartame, which the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2023 classified as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." The report also pointed to concerns raised about titanium dioxide, used as a whitening agent in some candies, and brominated vegetable oil, which has been linked in past studies to neurologic and hormonal effects and bioaccumulation.

The strategy recommends updating federal dietary guidelines, tightening food-safety standards, improving the quality of food in school and federal nutrition programs, and increasing physical activity among children. It proposes reviving the Presidential Fitness Test in collaboration with the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, expanding after-school activity programs and launching a Surgeon General-led public awareness campaign about the health effects of screen time.

On women’s and reproductive health, the report emphasizes improving breastfeeding education and training. It calls for establishing Infertility Training Centers to teach clinicians at federally funded clinics to better identify, treat and refer patients for common reproductive health conditions that can cause infertility, and for NIH research into root causes and treatments.

Despite the breadth of proposals, the report contains few specifics about funding, timelines or regulatory mechanics. Administration officials did not provide detailed cost estimates during the briefing, and critics point to recent federal spending reductions that affect food assistance, scientific research programs and Medicaid—coverage that serves roughly 40 percent of American children—as potential obstacles to implementation.

The report follows a contentious spring during which Kennedy faced questioning from lawmakers about HHS policies on vaccines. He has previously pledged to identify the causes of rising autism diagnoses, a promise included in an April cabinet meeting where he said he would seek an explanation by September. The new strategy reiterates plans for NIH to develop a comprehensive vaccine framework but does not specify technical changes to vaccines or the schedule.

The department acknowledged that the document builds on earlier work released in May that contained errors and was widely criticized. Officials said the current strategy incorporates stakeholder input from doctors, patients, school officials and farmers and is intended to prompt new rulemaking and research lines across agencies. Implementation will require additional administrative action, statutory changes in some cases, and coordination with states and federal partners.

Public-health experts said many of the issues the plan raises—chemical exposures, diet quality, physical activity and maternal-child health—are longstanding areas of concern. The report’s emphasis on reopening debate over the GRAS process and reconsidering additives will place FDA policy and industry practices under renewed scrutiny. How quickly and through what mechanisms the administration can translate the strategy into enforceable rules, funding allocations and measurable outcomes remains unclear.

The HHS release said more detailed regulatory proposals and research plans would follow, including NIH initiatives to enhance vaccine safety research. The department encouraged stakeholders to participate in forthcoming rulemaking and research solicitations.

Among the broader trends the report highlights, about one in five U.S. children and teens is overweight or obese, a condition associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other health problems, and autism spectrum disorder is identified as now affecting roughly 1 in 31 U.S. children. The document attributes rising detection of neurodevelopmental and chronic conditions to multiple factors and calls for expanded research to identify preventable causes and improved clinical management.

The administration said it will continue to consult with federal agencies, researchers and state partners as it develops detailed proposals. For now, the report sets an agenda that spans regulatory reform, public education campaigns and new research priorities while leaving key financial and operational questions unresolved.