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Your favorite snacks may contain more than just crunch and flavor. Many are loaded with artificial ingredients that raise serious concerns with food safety advocates.
RFK Jr. is leading a movement to clean up the nation’s snacks. These 12 additives are his top targets for removal and reform.
Red No. 3
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Often found in candies and packaged snacks, Red No. 3 has been linked to thyroid tumors in animal studies. RFK Jr. wants this artificial dye eliminated nationwide, especially in products marketed to children, calling for natural coloring derived from fruits or vegetables instead.
Red No. 40
This bright dye appears in chips, gummies, and baked snacks. Though legal, it’s tied to behavioral issues in children. RFK Jr. supports banning Red No. 40 from all snack items and urges companies to switch to plant based colorants with cleaner safety records.
Yellow No. 5
Used to make foods appear more vibrant, Yellow No. 5 is often found in snack cakes, crackers, and flavored chips. RFK Jr. believes it poses risks, including allergies and hyperactivity, and pushes for transparent labeling and natural color replacements across food categories.
Yellow No. 6
Present in cheesy or spicy snacks, Yellow No. 6 is another synthetic dye linked to potential carcinogenic effects. RFK Jr. calls for its removal from all processed snack foods and urges a national review of its safety in children’s heavily marketed products.
Blue No. 1
Blue No. 1 gives snacks that fun, electric hue, but animal studies raise questions about its long term impact. RFK Jr. is pushing for a full ban and encourages manufacturers to use butterfly pea flower or spirulina as safe, naturally derived color alternatives.
Blue No. 2
Blue No. 2 shows up in candies and baked treats, but it’s linked to brain tumor concerns in rodents. RFK Jr. urges its immediate removal from all snack foods, favoring safer, food based pigments that don’t carry the same level of risk.
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Green No. 3
Though not widely used, Green No. 3 can still be found in holiday snacks and limited edition items. RFK Jr. includes it on his ban list due to cancer links in lab animals and advocates switching to safer botanical options for coloring.
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Citrus Red No. 2
Used mainly in citrus fruits, this dye can also make its way into snack garnishes and beverages. RFK Jr. aims to eliminate it entirely due to its link to cancer in animal testing and urges a complete rethink of how food gets colored.
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Brominated Vegetable Oil
BVO stabilizes citrus flavors in sports drinks and soda, often paired with snack foods. It’s tied to neurological and reproductive issues. RFK Jr. supports banning BVO completely, citing its restricted status overseas and health risks with regular, long term consumption in the U.S.
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Phthalates
These plasticizers can leach into snacks from packaging and are linked to hormone disruption. RFK Jr. wants to tighten regulations on food contact materials and encourages packaging reforms to prevent hidden exposure through snack wrappers, lunchboxes, and long shelf life storage.
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Sodium Benzoate with Vitamin C
On its own, sodium benzoate is a preservative, but combined with vitamin C, it may form benzene, a known carcinogen. RFK Jr. sees this as a major red flag and seeks stricter testing and labeling of snack products with this risky combo.
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Aspartame
Found in sugar free snacks and gums, aspartame is controversial due to potential neurological effects. RFK Jr. advocates for its removal and urges a full FDA reevaluation of artificial sweeteners, encouraging natural sugar alternatives with proven safety over long term consumption.
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RFK Jr. believes snacking shouldn’t be a health hazard. These 12 ingredients may seem small, but their impact could be massive. His plan could transform America’s snack shelves, making them safer, simpler, and free of artificial shortcuts that put families at risk.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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