What RFK Jr.’s War on Corn Syrup Could Mean for Your Grocery Basket

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., incoming President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, has long attacked the use of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in thousands of everyday grocery items. This is one reason the controversial nominee—he has also made disproven claims linking certain vaccines to autism—faces fierce opposition from corn farmers, food manufacturers, and some members of Congress as his nomination moves to the U.S. Senate.

Should Kennedy be confirmed, he would head 13 major federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), giving him substantial power to change what goes into American grocery carts. He’s looking for wholesale changes, arguing that “entire departments like the nutrition departments” in the agencies he would lead “have to go.”

As such, shoppers could see large shifts in their favorite products—from breakfast cereals to sodas to condiments—if companies look for alternatives to HFCS or keep using it and raise their prices.

RFK Jr.’s Proposed Changes to Food and Agriculture

Long a staple in highly processed foods, from sodas to snacks, HFCS has been under fire based on its links to obesity and chronic diseases. To combat its use, Kennedy has proposed changes to two main areas of America’s food system: government subsidies that lower the price of HFCS and nutrition programs.

Kennedy would have little power to change those subsidies, which are the result of laws passed by the U.S. Congress. However, he would have power through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to restrict recipients of food stamps from using them to pay for sugary drinks and heavily processed foods. Kennedy has also vowed to eliminate processed foods from federally subsidized school lunches.

Given his appetite for disrupting the status quo, and health concerns around HFCS, Kennedy might also direct the FDA to review HFCS’s status as an ingredient that is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), an official designation. If the FDA determined that HFCS was no longer GRAS, it could ban it, but there’s no indication that Kennedy plans to take this route.

Size of the High-Fructose Corn Syrup Market

The global market for HFCS is estimated at $9.5 billion in 2025, with North America accounting for about 40% of that market and China making up another 20%. In the U.S., it’s used mainly as a sweetener in beverages and baked goods.

Food producers have historically preferred HFCS over cane sugar because it’s 10% to 30% cheaper due to federal corn subsidies; it’s produced domestically, making it easier to access; it’s a liquid, so it’s easier to transport and blend into foods; and it acts as a preservative by retaining moisture.

Major producers that use HFCS include these companies:

• Nestlé: A leading global food and beverage company known for its diverse range of products, including snacks and frozen foods
• PepsiCo: A major player in both the snack and beverage markets
• Mondelez International (MDLZ): Known for its confectionery and snack brands
• General Mills (GIS): Produces a wide variety of packaged foods, including cereals and snacks
• Kraft Heinz (KHC): A significant producer of condiments and packaged meals

U.S. HFCS Consumption Has Already Dropped Significantly

Per capita consumption of HFCS in the U.S. has fallen steadily to about 60% of its peak in 1999—when Americans set a record by ingesting more than 150 pounds per capita of all sweeteners.

Since then, many producers have switched to other sweeteners like refined cane and beet sugars as medical authorities and news media reports on the health effects of HFCS, and corn prices have increased.

It’s challenging to know exactly how much prices might rise if HFCS is no longer used. Working off information contained in previous research, a move from HCFS to other sweeteners would provide about a 10% to 15% increase in the cost of certain products, especially beverages. But a lot has changed in recent years as corn and cane prices have shifted. The bottom line is that any price increases will depend on the prices of any substitute ingredients.

One wildcard in this regard is incoming President Trump’s promise of higher tariffs on cane and beet sugars from Mexico and Brazil, which would increase the prices of those sweeteners and thus the foods produced with them. This might keep HCFS economically viable as an ingredient even if it becomes moderately more expensive.

RFK Jr. To Face Pushback from Farmers, Food Producers

Despite growing concern about the effects of HFCS, Kennedy is already getting stiff resistance to his war on HFCS from food companies, corn farmers, and the members of Congress who represent them. Senator Charles E. Grassley, senior senator and a Republican from Iowa, a major corn-growing state, has already indicated he would push back on any changes that would cut corn production.

Major food producers such as Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM), PepsiCo, and Kraft Heinz have also promised to lobby against Kennedy’s initiatives, particularly any changes to corn subsidies.

Yet Kennedy might also find support across the ideological spectrum for his HFCS-related initiatives, given the media coverage depicting the links between the sweetener and obesity and chronic diseases. In 2024, Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, of Florida, submitted legislation that would ban HFCS and certain food additives in the U.S. More than a decade ago, then-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg unsuccessfully tried to ban large sugary soft drinks in the city.

Health Implications of High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Almost 40% of U.S. adults are classified as obese, a figure that has doubled since the 1980s, with those who are severely obese increasing by a quarter since 2014. Studies suggest that HFCS contributes more to weight gain than the same level of intake of regular sugar, primarily because of how the body processes it. The sweetener can bypass normal appetite controls, leading to increased cravings and the overconsumption of sugary foods.

Consuming a lot of HFCS has been linked to reduced insulin sensitivity, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and potentially contributing to Type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders. In addition, children appear particularly vulnerable to these health effects. Studies show that reducing their intake of HFCS improves liver health, especially in cases of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and significantly decreases triglyceride levels.

Bottom Line

If confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services, Kennedy’s proposals on HFCS could further reshape what Americans eat. His plans to restrict food stamp purchases of sugary drinks and eliminate processed foods from school lunches would directly affect millions of Americans.

However, his broader vision of reforming corn subsidies would require congressional support, highlighting the complexities of the economics of food, public health, and the power of U.S. agricultural interests.