U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gestures as he speaks during an event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, United States, on December 19, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday that he would support a possible ban on television ads for junk food in the United States, an effort that would likely provoke a fierce reaction 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 that she supports banning junk food ads on television.
Asked if he agreed with a ban, Kennedy said, “I would support it.”
But Kennedy also seemed to hint that he would like to make the effort voluntary for food companies.
“The only question I have is… we tried to ban smoking on television, and the tobacco companies voluntarily came to the table, which was a good thing,” he said. “And I think the same arguments apply to junk food, [which is] probably even worse for Americans than smoking.”
Food, beverage and restaurant companies spend nearly $14 billion a 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 Rudd Center for Food and Health Policy at the University of Connecticut shows. It is unclear how trends have changed in the years since.
The Trump administration is already exploring the possibility of limiting 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 evaluating misleading claims and images,” according to the document.
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 nutritional parameters for children under 12 years of age. But the initiative is voluntary and children still see about 1,000 TV ads a year about unhealthy foods and drinks, according to a 2024 University of Illinois at Chicago study.
Kennedy's testimony before the HELP committee is the latest in a series of congressional hearings for him over the past two weeks surrounding HHS' proposed fiscal year 2027 budget.
Means, during his Senate confirmation hearing in February, had stated that he would “absolutely lend” his voice to supporting a ban on junk food television ads aimed at children.
— CNBC's Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.
