Fact Check: Is RFK Jr. planning to force Coke to change its Coca-Cola recipe?

Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next secretary of Health and Human Services has sparked fears about his unorthodox views and misleading rhetoric on vaccines, antidepressants and nutrition.

Kennedy, who has shared false and harmful claims about vaccines causing autism, has also taken a stand against ultra-processed foods, telling Fox News last month that “I will immediately remove processed foods from school lunch.”

Claims emerged online this week that Kennedy, if confirmed by the Senate, would take on beverage giant Coca-Cola and force it to remove high fructose corn syrup from its products, including its signature soda.

The complaint

A post on Cola Starts Using Cane Sugar Instead of High Fructose Syrup as HHS Secretary.

The facts

Although Kennedy campaigned against ultra-processed foods, he did not often point the finger at Coca-Cola for its contribution to public health.

In 2020, he accused the company, along with McDonald’s and “the largest food and beverage industry,” of working to preempt less punitive state public health laws over local laws calling for tougher legislation . He also criticized the company in 2018 for contributing to global plastic waste pollution, among other companies, and said high fructose corn syrup contributes to childhood obesity.

Despite this, the nominee for HHS secretary was photographed this week sitting with President-elect Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk, eating McDonald’s food with a Coca-Cola by his side.

While Kennedy has generally been a vocal public critic of ultra-processed foods, his specific claim that he plans to “require” Coca-Cola to remove high-fructose corn syrup is unsupported. by evidence, nor is it clear how he would force a company to do so. to remove the ingredient.

News week found no public statements specifically regarding Coca-Cola or any particular effort to ban or replace high fructose corn syrup in foods and beverages in the United States

News week contacted representatives for Kennedy and Coca-Cola via email for comment.

The decision

FAKE.

There is no evidence that Kennedy plans to require Coca-Cola to remove high fructose corn syrup from its products. The claim does not include any references or evidence, and it is unclear what mechanisms he would use to achieve this.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek’s Fact Check Team