Secretary Kennedy details changes to federal policy for protein | MEAT+POULTRY

OXON HILL, MD. — Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed his positions and strategies for meat protein and dieting during the opening session of the 2026 Annual Meat Conference on March 2.

Julie Anna Potts, president and chief executive officer of the Meat Institute, and Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI – The Food Industry Association, spoke with Kennedy with a large projection behind them that said “Eat Real Food.” The slogan was used during the rollout of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January.

Kennedy discussed his personal journey with his health, noting that he recently went on a diet that consisted of meat, fermented vegetables and yogurt.

“People ask me, ‘Are you going to stay on that the rest of your life?’” Kennedy said. “I would say, ‘Yeah, I am because the benefits have been so good.’ I don't go around and recommend it to a lot of people. I tell my story. It may not be good for everyone, but for me it’s had transformative effects. And I plan to stick with it.”

Shifting the focus to recent policy, Kennedy addressed the updates to the Dietary Guidelines, which put animal protein at the top of the new pyramid, while discussing how HHS and the US Department of Agriculture would address these priorities more in the future.

He pointed out that guidelines can be applied to federal school lunch programs and in the US military.

Kennedy mentioned the military has changed the diet on 5 bases, and that by the end of March, they will have changed it on 20 bases.

Another area Kennedy brought up was his continued opposition toward refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods, which he called “poisonous” for kids.

“We are doing the best that we can to make sure that protein is affordable and that it's available for every American family,” he said.

As the chat drew to a close, Kennedy mentioned another initiative he will try to push, which is getting more people to cook at home again.

He discussed sending the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) out in the future to help educate people on the basics of cooking and grocery shopping, while also emphasizing the importance of restoring a sense of community for families across the country.