Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is fully committed to making America healthy again, and a big part of that effort is the removal of various chemical additives to the mass-produced food that most Americans eat.

That includes artificial dyes and food colorings, and Kennedy just told a gathering of the nation's top corporate food producers that he wanted those artificial ingredients out of most foods before he leaves office in four years, according to Reuters.

Kennedy's ultimatum to the companies was delivered as a request for voluntary compliance that was nonetheless backed by a vow to "take action" at the federal level if deemed necessary.

Removal of artificial food dyes a top priority

On Monday, HHS Sec. Kennedy met with the CEOs of General Mills, Kellogg's, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, Smuckers, Tyson Foods, and the Consumer Brands Association, the top industry trade group, to discuss his goals and priorities for improving the quality of the nation's food supply.

In a Monday evening X post, Kennedy said he'd had a "great discussion" with those CEOs about "advancing food safety and radical transparency to protect the health of all Americans, especially our children. We will strengthen consumer trust by getting toxins out of our food. Let’s Make America Healthy Again."

A big part of that discussion, according to a readout of the meeting from CBA President Melissa Hockstad, was the artificial dyes that those companies use in their products, and Kennedy urged them to voluntarily ban those chemical-based food colorings or else face a mandatory ban imposed by the federal government, Politico reported.

Kennedy "expressed the strong desire and urgent priority of the administration to remove [Food, Drug, & Cosmetic] colors from the food supply -- and he wants this done before he leaves office," Hockstad wrote. "He expects 'real and transformative' change by 'getting the worst ingredients out' of food."

Multiple states taking individual action but a single "federal framework" is preferred

According to The Guardian, the prior administration's Food and Drug Administration finally and "begrudgingly" banned -- after years of pressure from advocacy groups -- the artificial food coloring known as Red Dye No. 3, which had previously been found to cause cancer in lab rats but was still marketed as safe for human consumption.

Meanwhile, at least a dozen U.S. states, including both Democrat and Republican-led states alike, have taken steps to legislatively ban the distribution or sale of products that include certain artificial food dyes and colorings within their borders.

However, per Politico, Hockstad's readout noted that the food industry would much prefer a single "federal framework" instead of "patchworks" of differing state laws on which artificial ingredients are acceptable or not.

It was further reported that in addition to the meeting readout provided by CBA President Hockstad, she also sent a letter to HHS Sec. Kennedy that thanked him for bringing everyone together for the important and "constructive conversation" about food safety and the nation's overall health.

"The industry is committed to delivering safe, affordable, and convenient product choices to consumers," Hockstad wrote, according to ABC News. "We will engage with you and the administration on solutions to improve transparency, ensure ingredient evaluations are grounded in a science and risk-based process, and increase healthier options for consumers."

Food safety advocates are "thrilled" by the development

ABC News noted that the reported development was cheered by food safety advocates like Vani Hari, who has been on a crusade of her own to convince large corporations like Kellogg's to voluntarily cease the use of artificial food dyes.

"I have been working on this issue for over a decade and I am thrilled Secretary Kennedy laid out an ultimatum," Hari told the outlet. "These food companies have already reformulated their products without dyes in so many countries, now it's time for them to do the same in America. Americans deserve the same safer foods other countries get."