RFK Jr. Backs Potential Ban on Junk Food TV Ads for Children

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday said he would support a potential ban on junk food TV advertisements in the U.S. – an effort that would likely draw fierce backlash from major food manufacturers. Speaking at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said President Donald Trump's nominee for surgeon general, Casey Means, had recently told the panel she supports banning junk food ads on TV. When asked whether he agrees with a ban, Kennedy said, "I would support that." But Kennedy also appeared to imply that he would want the effort to be voluntary for food companies. "The only hesitation I have was ... we tried to do a smoking ban on TV, and the tobacco companies voluntarily came to the table, which was a good thing," he said. "And I think the same arguments apply for junk food, [which is] probably even worse for Americans than smoking." Food, beverage and restaurant companies spend almost $14 billion per year on food ads in the U.S., with more than 80% promoting fast food, sugary drinks, candy, and unhealthy snacks, 2017 research from the University of Connecticut's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health shows. It is not clear how trends have changed in the years since. The Trump administration is already exploring whether to limit food companies' ability to market certain unhealthy foods to children, according to a "Make America Healthy Again" strategy document released by the White House in September. HHS, the Federal Trade Commission and other agencies will consider establishing food industry guidelines on marketing to children, "including the evaluation of misleading claims and imagery," the document said. Two decades ago, the food industry launched The Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative as a commitment to only advertise products that met certain nutrition parameters to kids under the age of 12. But the initiative is voluntary, and children still view about 1,000 television commercials annually for unhealthy food and drinks, according to a study from the University of Illinois Chicago from 2024. Kennedy's testimony before the HELP committee is the last in a string of congressional hearings for him over the past two weeks around the proposed HHS budget for fiscal year 2027. Means, during her Senate confirmation hearing in February, had stated she would "absolutely lend" her voice to support a ban on television advertisements for junk food aimed at children.