Food Giants Watch Closely As RFK Jr. Signals Shift On Saturated Fats, Calls To End ‘Attack’ On Whole Milk, Cheese

The health department’s stance marks a shift from its long-standing advice to limit saturated fats in diets, and could reshape the product offerings of major food companies.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signaled an accommodative stance towards saturated fats, saying that the risks of such dietary fats, found in certain meats and dairy products, could be overblown.

"There's a tremendous amount of emerging science that talks about the need for more protein in our diets, more fats in our diets," Kennedy said Monday at a U.S. Department of Agriculture event, according to a Bloomberg News report.

Kennedy added that the next version of the federal government's dietary guidelines, which would shape nutrition advice and school meals, would be released in the "next several months" and would stop the "attack on whole milk and cheese and yogurt over the past couple of decades."

Kennedy's stance marks a reversal, as the health department has long recommended a low consumption of saturated fat, which is said to increase the risk of heart disease.

The current dietary guidelines recommend that Americans over the age of two limit their consumption of foods high in saturated fat to less than 10% of daily calories.

A shift in the federal stance could reshape perceptions of certain foods and push packaged food companies to reformulate their offerings, particularly those served in schools through meal programs.

Tyson Foods (TSN), Conagra Brands (CAG), Kraft Heinz (KHC), General Mills (GIS), and WK Kellogg (KLG), among others, offer foods served in schools.

Currently, only skim and 1% milk are recommended in school meals as part of an effort to limit saturated fat consumption. Both Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have previously publicly endorsed allowing whole milk to be served in schools again.

The development comes as the food regulator seeks to remove artificial colorants from packaged foods. Several companies, including PepsiCo (PEP), Kellogg, and Kraft Heinz, have announced plans to phase out artificial dyes in foods by 2026-2027.

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