In the thick of his competitive reelection race in Michigan, Republican Rep. Tom Barrett joined Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a sprawling 400-acre apple orchard, farm, and winery.
asserted
Barrett → join → orchard
They touted Trump administration efforts to improve the American diet, including the removal of some artificial dyes from processed foods.
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They → tout → foods
"We had a great discussion about healthy options for all Americans and taking back control of our healthcare," Barrett said in a mid-June Instagram post, after sampling the farm's apple cider.
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Barrett → have → cider
Like the focus on
, however, many of the administration's highest-profile health initiatives rely on voluntary agreements.
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many → rely → agreements
The goals, such as lower drug prices and nutrition classes for doctors, have widespread appeal, cutting across party lines and economic divisions.
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goals → have → lines
But the administration-industry deals lack the enforcement teeth of more traditional federal regulation.
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deals → lack → regulation
Their details are vague, and minimal oversight makes it hard to monitor progress.
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it → make → progress
In some cases, the administration has claimed victories that have yet to materialize.
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that → claim → victories
Republicans consider the deal-making a winning strategy.
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making → consider → strategy
It fits with the party's anti-regulatory stance, they say, and enables the administration to quickly forge agreements President Trump and his allies can tout as accomplishments.
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Trump → fit → accomplishments
In the run-up to the midterm elections, some, like Barrett, hope to woo voters by trumpeting the Trump administration's efforts to shape health policy.
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some → hope → policy
The practice also raises questions.
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practice → raise → questions
Though the deals are announced with great fanfare — often during televised events on stages, with live audiences — there's little documentation or follow-through, creating doubts about whether the administration's health agenda will lead to lasting change or unravel once the political attention fades.
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attention → announce → change
The distinction could prove important to voters as Republicans defend their health records in November's midterm elections.
uncertain
Republicans → prove → elections
"These deals are often not transparent, so there's no way for the public to judge how meaningful they are," said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.
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that → be → News
Dealing with dyes
The push to remove certain artificial dyes from food and drugs, for example, was a headline grabber.
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push → deal → example
In April 2025, Kennedy strode onto an HHS stage to announce deals with food makers.
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Kennedy → stride → makers
He was flanked by young children and mothers holding placards reading "Make America Healthy Again."
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America → flank → placards
He and former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Marty Makary drew a standing ovation from an audience selected by Kennedy's staff as they said companies had pledged to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation's food supply and medicines.
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companies → draw → supply
They targeted nine synthetic dyes for removal.
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They → target → removal
Voters love the idea of stopping the use of such dyes.
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Voters → love → dyes
In a nationally representative March survey by Consumer Reports, 72% of adults said they were at least somewhat concerned about synthetic dyes, and two-thirds said companies should be required to phase them out.
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companies → say → them
A year after making the first announcement at HHS, Kennedy declared victory during a discussion at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual political event.
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Kennedy → make → Conference
"We've gotten rid of the nine synthetic-based food dyes," he said.
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he → rid → dyes
At the initial HHS event, federal officials said companies would voluntarily stop using six specific synthetic dyes by the end of this year.
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companies → say → year
(The administration has also revoked or proposed revoking authorization for two other synthetic food dyes.)
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administration → revoke → dyes
Later, the FDA on its website quietly changed the deadline to the end of 2027.
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FDA → change → 2027
In fact, the FDA posted a list of 27 companies it said had made voluntary pledges as of December 2025 to remove six synthetic dyes from products such as Doritos and Kellogg's Froot Loops.
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it → post → Doritos
More than a year and a half later, seven food makers — fewer than 30% of those who bought in — had met their promised goals.
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who → buy → goals
Many major food makers such as the Coca-Cola Co. and Unilever have made "no concrete commitments" to remove the synthetic dyes, according to Consumer Reports.
uncertain
makers → make → Reports
In addition, no pharmaceutical companies have publicly said they have plans to remove dyes from drugs.
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they → say → drugs
"It's just all talk," said Leslie Dach, who chairs Protect Our Care, a healthcare advocacy group that supports the Affordable Care Act.
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that → say → Act
"They just govern for a day of publicity, and then it's over.
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it → govern → publicity
None of it happens.
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None → happen → it
Yet the people don't know because they have busy lives, so they think, 'Just look at all these initiatives.'
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they → know → initiatives
In fact, the administration loosened labeling requirements, allowing companies to say their products contain no artificial colors — as long as they don't use petroleum-based dyes.
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they → loosen → dyes
Previously, food makers could not make that claim unless their products contained no added colors.
uncertain
products → make → colors
Some food dyes made from natural ingredients can contain contaminants and may pose their own health risks, such as diabetes.
uncertain
dyes → make → diabetes
"The federal government hasn't taken any regulatory action on food dyes, for the most part, since the beginning of this administration," said Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group.
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Benesh → take → Group
HHS said the voluntary approach has yielded significant action, including commitments to remove synthetic dyes from products sold in schools by the 2026–27 school year.
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approach → say → year
…and 42 more, not listed.
