--- title: "RFK Jr Has a Problem: the Synthetic Food Dyes He’s Trying to Eliminate Are in Candy Beloved by Trump" description: "From Adderall to M&Ms, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s health policies keep running counter to president Donald Trump's preferences. As the New York Times reports, the Health and Human Services secretary is already encountering roadblocks from Mars, the manufacturer of M&Ms, to his proposed dye ban — but he may also run into pushback from the president himself, who is very fond of colorful candy. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone reported that Trump has been so obsessed with candy during both his presidential terms that he has demanded aides keep bowls and baskets filled not just with colorful M&Ms, but also Life Savers and […]" date: "2025-07-07" modified: "2025-07-07" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/rfk-synthetic-food-dyes-candy" categories: - "Food" - "Future Society" tags: - "candy" - "donald trump" - "food" - "rfk jr" --- # RFK Jr Has a Problem: the Synthetic Food Dyes He’s Trying to Eliminate Are in Candy Beloved by Trump ![From Adderall to M&Ms, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s health policies keep running counter to president Donald Trump's preferences.]() *\Image: Mars / Kevin Dietsch via Getty / Futurism\* From the jump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s alliance with Donald Trump has been fraught: the former [hates fast food]() and [artificial additives](), while the latter is known for his [love of burgers and Diet Coke](). Nowhere has that tension been more clear than in the newly-minted Health and Human Services secretary's [war on synthetic food dyes](), which is his first battle in what he's framing as a war to reconstitute the United States' ultraprocessed food system. As the [*New York Times* reports](), RFK is already encountering roadblocks from Mars, the manufacturer of popular snacks including M&Ms and Skittles, to his proposed dye ban. Several other major food companies, including Nestle and Kraft Heinz, quickly jumped on board — but Mars is signaling that it won't remove the dyes without regulatory action. To get that, RFK will need the political clout of figures going right to the top of the administration. And on that front, unfortunately, he could be stymied by a simple reality: Trump is, on a personal level, very fond of colorful candy. Earlier this year, [*Rolling Stone* reported]() that Trump has been so obsessed with candy during both his presidential terms that he has demanded aides keep bowls and baskets filled not just with colorful M&Ms, but also Life Savers and Starburst, among other sugary morsels. Just those three candies, for instance, already include a number of the [dyes RFK wants to ban](), including Blues No. 1 and 2 and Yellow No. 6. As candy manufacturers told the *NYT*, there's no simple solution to removing them: switching to natural dyes would overwhelm the supply chain, driving up prices and resulting in a less vibrant end product than the technicolor candies that consumers have become accustomed to under the modern industfood system. And Trump is *serious* about his confections. Despite [never being a drinker](), Trump has often jokingly called candy "my alcohol," per *Rolling Stone*'s White House sources, and has been heard telling subordinates to "bring me my alcohol!" Beyond his avowed sweet tooth, which White House press secretary [Karoline Leavitt affirmed]() after that *RS* article was published, Trump is also quite particular about his favorite colors of candy. During his first stint in the White House, the [*Washington Post* reported that]() then-House majority leader Kevin McCarthy once had an aide pick out only the reds and pinks — though to be fair, the Red No. 40 dye that gives [both those candies]() their [radiant hues]() is not included on the health secretary's chop list. **More on Trump:** [*Trump Has Reportedly Been Sounding Off About Elon Musk's Drug Use*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()