RFK Jr. targets Starbucks, Dunkin’ over some of their sugary beverages, says they will have to ‘prove’ safety

(Gray News) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is going after Starbucks and Dunkin’ for some of their sugary drinks.

The secretary of Health and Human Services said the popular coffee chains will have to “prove” their drinks are safe.

Kennedy made the comments at the Austin Eat Real Food Rally last week.

“We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it.’ I don’t think they’re gonna be able to do it,” Kennedy said.

It is unclear what the ramifications might be for the coffee chains if they cannot “prove” their drinks are safe.

Kennedy has been scrutinizing food and beverage ingredients as part of his “Make American Healthy Again” movement.

The U.S. government’s dietary guidelines recommend limiting added sugars to less than 10% of daily caloric intake.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 grams per day for women and children older than 2 and 36 grams per day for men.

Some drinks at Starbucks and Dunkin’ have significantly more sugar than what experts advise. The drinks with the highest sugar content can have more than 80 grams of sugar.

But the chains also offer multiple low-sugar offerings, with some drinks having less than 5 grams of sugar.

Of course, drinks are always customizable in ways that could either lower or increase the sugar content.

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