The New York Times Accidentally Admits RFK Jr. is Correct on Food Additives
NYT fisked for flawed ‘fact check’ of RFK Jr.’s assessment of Froot Loops and food dyes.
When I said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. could be the most effective agent for change that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated, I also noted that the elite media would work hard to derail the nomination for the post of Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Of course, the first and most pompous smears come from The New York Times.
However, a strange thing happened during this particular attempt to undermine the candidate.
The progressive publication accidentally endorsed Trump’s pick when it mocked Kennedy’s stance on additives in American food.
Mr. Kennedy has singled out Froot Loops as an example of a product with too many ingredients. In an interview with MSNBC on Nov. 6, he questioned the overall ingredient count: “Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients and you go to Canada and it has two or three?” Mr. Kennedy asked.
He was wrong on the ingredient count, they are roughly the same. But the Canadian version does have natural colorings made from blueberries and carrots while the U.S. product contains red dye 40, yellow 5 and blue 1 as well as Butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT, a lab-made chemical that is used “for freshness,” according to the ingredient label.
So, in other words, Kennedy was completely correct in his assessment.
The social media fact-checking of The New York Times was tasty.
Spitting out my coffee after reading this NYT “fact check” of RFK Jr. pic.twitter.com/sqL9jaeUR1
— Brad Cohn (@BradCohn) November 17, 2024
“Wait, so RFK Jr. was completely accurate, but they didn’t like how he said it?” wrote an incredulous X user.
Another person quipped, “They are the same, only different, right? that is logical… Sure it is.”
An X writer, referring to Trump’s decisive election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, said, “This. This is exactly why they lost. Everything about this particular part of this specific article is why we won and they lost.”
Now, I would like to look at the science that The New York Times failed to do.
Red Dye 40, also known as Allura Red AC, has been associated with several potential adverse health effects, including DNA damage and colon inflammation in mice in one study. Some studies suggest that Red Dye 40 may increase hyperactivity and exacerbate symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children.
Among other complications, studies say red dye 40 may increase risks for ADHD in children. Notably, a 2015 report by the Journal of the American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry estimated about 8% of children with ADHD may have symptoms related to synthetic food colors.
This research is inconclusive, however, and not all institutions back it up (hint: the FDA). According to a 2019 review by the FDA, a causal link between consuming red food dye and developing ADHD had not been established.
“The FDA has not formally noted a connection between red dye and ADHD in children, but there is some data to point towards a possible connection,” says allergist and immunologist Dr. Farah Khan, who is with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “We’re still learning about food additives and in the world of allergy and immunology, we don’t have any validated way to test for the behavioral concerns that arise.”
Blue 1 Dye is also known as Brilliant Blue FCF or FD&C Blue No. 1. Based on animal testing, this compound may have neurotoxic effects and potentially impact neurodevelopment. Concerns about its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier have led to investigations of its possible link to hyperactivity and attention issues in children.
Yellow 5 Dye can cause allergic reactions in some individuals, particularly those sensitive to aspirin.
A case study published in the June 2006 issue of “Allergology International,” reported multiple chemical sensitivities in a 5-year-old girl. Colorful sweets such as candies and jellybeans triggered her symptoms. Researchers discovered the patient had a sensitivity to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, and tartrazine, an azo dye.
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is used as a preservative and as a way to maintain freshness. A safety summary from New Jersey indicates there is limited evidence that 2,6-Di-tert-Butyl-p-Cresol causes cancer in animals. (i.e., animal studies suggest it may cause lung, brain and liver effects) a may damage the developing fetus. This evidence, collected through the 1970’s-1990’s proved inconclusive, but several countries are putting restrictions on its use.
Interestingly, California is mandating the removal of the three dyes listed above (along with several others) from foods sold in schools.
The law puts food manufacturers on notice that they have until the end of 2027 to purge the offending ingredients from their products, which include dyes like Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Blue 1 and Green 3.
Those who fail to comply risk their foods being banned from public school vending machines and cafeterias in more than 12,000 Golden State schools.
“Today, we are refusing to accept the status quo, and making it possible for everyone, including school kids, to access nutritious, delicious food without harmful, and often addictive additives,” Newsom said lauding the legislation.
America has both an obesity problem as well as a chronic disease epidemic. We have watched “experts” push “science” that suits narratives, lobbying efforts, and politically connected firms.
Looking at the data, perhaps it is time for a team assembled by someone not beholden to special interests review the Generally Recognized as Safe ratings that have been issued by the FDA. After all, if Canada is using natural food colorings, why can’t we?
It’s not to say the dyes and preservatives need to be eliminated. But it would be great if Kennedy could have his team reevaluate and inform. That way, we can all make the right food decisions for us and our families.
Nobody is getting between me and my Lucky Charms for my birthday and Halloween breakfasts. pic.twitter.com/JNfb2X0wPw
— Leslie Eastman ☥ (@Mutnodjmet) November 18, 2024
Now it appears that the papers has a few regrets publishing this flawed fact-check.
NEW: the @nytimes put a correction on its absurd piece that factchecked RFK on the ingredients in Froot Loops — calls it an “editing error” pic.twitter.com/IknAK1btQU
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) November 18, 2024
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Comments
Most cereal is just carbs and a lot of sugar, it is not good for children.
And dyes, oil by products , lots of tasty cancer causing crap
Froot Loops was put on the market by Kellogg’s in 1963. After 60+ years this cereal, marketed to children should have had plenty of time for the “tasty cancer causing crap” to cause numerous cases of cancer in children. You don’t cite a single statistic showing this explosion of cases. Instead you choose to believe what California says.
If the ingredients leading to ADHD are removed, how will schools earn their kickbacks from the drugs forced on children at threat of taking them away by CPS types?
Feeding children stimulants (ADHD medication) so that they can survive in a school environment designed to make them crazy is child abuse.
Get them out.
There is little question that most Americans have NO idea how to properly feed themselves. Convenience is *King* and more people need to read labels and look into human nutrition. Look at “gut flora” on a search engine; It’s a vast and worthy subject.
Too many take all of the pharmaceuticals their physician gives them and most of those are NOT gut compatible and.do nothing to heal, but simply maintain status quo.
Healing is possible in many cases, but paradigms must change for better health!
Nobody’s touching my Froot Loops!!!
Froot Loops are among the very best of cereals – if not all food in the world.
Froot Loops, (Sugar) Corn Pops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms (with 75% of the oat pieces taken out), Quisp … all topped off by APPLE JACKS!!!
These are some of the greatest foods ever devised by Man. Keep your grubby hands off of them!
Actually there are other healthy cereals that also taste as good as fruity pebbles before you pour the milk. Magic Spoon and Three Wishes taste as good as anything Kellogg or Post and no weird dyes.
Fruity Pebbles could be great but, unfortunately, it gets ridiculously soggy after only 12 seconds in milk.
I have no idea about the Magic Spoon and Three Wishes cereals but I highly doubt they taste nearly as good as my favorites.
Magic Spoon is wet cardboard in a box. The only chicanery more abhorrent than pretending processed vegetables are hamburger is pretending clumped-up milk solids are cereal grains. I told DW to stop bringing it home.
However, I’m looking at that photo up top and remembering George Carlin’s warning: “Why is there no blue food?” That’s right… I said warning!
I guess we have different tastes but their fruity flavor is the best. Not sure where this anger toward whey and vegetables is coming from. What did they ever do to you?
Whey and vegetables are like men and women — gratifying in their natural roles, but repulsive when they pretend to be one another.
O.k. You don’t have to have a salad if you don’t want one. But there are no vegetables in Magic Spoon, in case anyone wants to try it.
You forgot the Captain of the bunch, Captain Crunch. I’m old enough I remember sending in box tops for the plastic treasure chest with authentic metal lock. I still have the key.
Stuff used to tear up my mouth. Only bought it for the plastic whistle, which blew 2600Hz and was handy for playing clever games with the long distance phone network.
I loved the one with Crunchberries.
If I am remembering correctly, Quisp was very much like regular Cap’n Crunch.
Used to enjoy Quisp’s partner, Quake. I’m an oat fan. Sadly, Quake died an extremely early death.
Still snarky about the dozens of cereals that used to flaunt “Sugar” in their names, but that commissar sure got vanished* (even though the ingredients remained the same.) Super Sugar Crisp. Sugar Jets. Sugar Frosted Flakes. “Sugar Pops Are Tops!”
*I only just this moment realized that the meme about the Quaker, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and the Land O’ Lakes Indian was patterned after this very book cover.
I haven’t thought of Apple Jacks in decades. That was one of my favorites (along with Cocoa Puffs and Kix).
The vast, overwhelming majority of ADHD diagnoses are complete and utter BS.
A lot of ADHD observed at school is in fact BOOTELM. Bored Out Of
Their Ever-Lovin’ Mind.
I also an interesting article a few years back (which I am too lazy to track down tonight) which postulated that there are not enough men teaching these days… and that what is normal “boy behavior” is foreign to the young female teachers who draw the conclusion that because the boys don’t behave like girls there’s something wrong with them. Sadly this coincided with Big Pharma’s development of ADHD drugs…..
Add the overwhelming % of female school counselors and therapists who themselves are indoctrinated. The mental health community has been and continues to try and force boys to behave/act/play/socialize as girls. When they don’t/won’t they are put on meds.
And when they did, they were put on faculties.
Teaching was always considered “women’s work”, which is why most of the women’s colleges were teaching colleges. The ladies never had a problem before understanding young boys. I think the difference is the old school marm used to actually be … a “marm”.
As you point out, the YOUNG female teachers are the issue. Childless (young) women are, themselves, a bit of a modern development.
Our government schools are based on the German model. That’s why it’s called Kindergarten.
It would be nice if RFK would look into some of the medication side effects that we pretend don’t exist
You mean like the ones that make teenagers take guns to school and shoot up the place?
That definitely would be an adverse side effect.
I particularly like the one that gives people who cease taking the drug suicidal/homicidal tendencies three times stronger than before they started. It’s like putting a kid in a suicide vest and then adding a deadman switch.
Or caused by the crap we ingest
One of my sons was “diagnosed” with mild ADHD. The councilor wisely suggested letting him have coffee (NOT decaf), rather than other suggestions for ritalin and voila! No more attention deficit. Turned our whole family into coffee connoisseurs!
Okay, ban those darn food additives for kids. But, for folks over 62, can we PLEASE have a food additive section of the grocery store fenced-off just for us?
If Harris had been elected you probably would have eventually. Not the way you think though. In the movies they called it Soylent Green. Actually with today’s new generation of idiots they could probably still market under that name.
Spices, sugar?
To steal a joke from “Golden Girls”: At our age we need all the preservatives we can get!
All these studies are fraudulent, intended to feed a narrative. The only way you get such dramatic results is to feed mice quantities of dye they couldn’t get in a century of ordinary consumption. “The dose makes the poison” is a well known phenomenon.
My personal experience is that you are badly mistaken.
My current favorite was Consumers’ Reports big cover story on arsenic in rice!!! OMFG!! We’re all gonna die!
Of course the average Asian person’s consumption of rice is probably 10 or 15 times that of the Average Americans and they don’t seem to have been dying out; and if the problem were only American-grown rice, the Asian population of the U.S. would certainly show measurable ill- effects from the poisoning…except they don’t.
It’s like the report that showed the percentage of private wells failing for arsenic was zooming. They “forgot to mention” that it was because the DOH was arbitrarily lowering the “acceptable” levels of arsenic year after year.
“Among other complications, studies say red dye 40 may increase risks for ADHD in children.”
I have significant personal family experience verifying this.
Bright colors are how animals signal predators to leave them alone.
“Editing Error”
As in, we hired a completely moronic woke tool as an Editor.
Got it.
It is error to feed children chemicals on the basis that they haven’t been proven dangerous, but prudent to avoid feeding children chemicals on the basis that they haven’t been proven safe.
Stumbling around as I did often when my children were little, I knew enough to limit their intake of Froot Loops, et al to the week we spent at the beach…it became known at our house as a Vacation Cereal
Sugar is the number one food enemy. Let’s see RFK tackle that one.
One starting point is to cut off using EBT cards and go back to picking up prepared boxes of food. Another is to remove vending machines from schools. Then work with Sec ED to reinstate PE programs and Presidential fitness testing. Then have a mandatory HS class on ‘adulting’ basically home Economics with updated dietary guidelines and meal prep/cooking with simple finance like create a budget and balance a checkbook. Then start public Fat shaming again. Be as publicly hostile to the fat and obese as we were to smokers in the 90s and ’00s.
Mr. Kennedy has singled out Froot Loops as an example of a product with too many ingredients. In an interview with MSNBC on Nov. 6, he questioned the overall ingredient count: “Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients and you go to Canada and it has two or three?” Mr. Kennedy asked.
He was wrong on the ingredient count, they are roughly the same.
RFK was REFERRING to the ingredient COUNT, not what the ingredients WERE.
So he was wrong.
Let’s not take this ‘unity’ thing too far. RFK is a leftist. He served his purpose. Give him a bullshit title and zero power.
Fix our food and drug system WITHOUT the input of leftists, who are the people who destroyed it.