RFK wants to ban Riboflavin, and other "chemicals" he can't pronounce, from foods

[Laodicean60]

The OP title is blatant disinformation. At no point has RFK Jr said that he wanted to ban Riboflavin,

It sure sounded like Riboflavin.

 

[Fantine]

Humorist Erma Bombeck wrote a column once about the "hedonistic mice" eating tons of sweet treats made with artificial sweeteners, red meat, and other "suspect" foods.
Most of the studies show that if humans consumed enough Splenda to kill a horse it could be carcinogenic.
I use Stevia/monkfruit packets in my coffee or unsweetened tea. Two natural substances consumed in small amounts. I am unconcerned, although aspartame concerns me.
Some of these substances insure shelf stability, a good purpose. Others--like artificial colors--are unnecessary. Some additives make food more affordable--by ensuring it doesn't spoil before it's sold--e.g. bread products.
We should look at additives, but RFK, Jr. does not inspire confidence--for good reason.
Scientists should make these decisions.

 

[probinson]

It sure sounded like Riboflavin.

Yes, RFK Jr was reading a list of ingredients that included Riboflavin, but he did not suggest that it should be banned.

 

[Laodicean60]

Yes, RFK Jr was reading a list of ingredients that included Riboflavin, but he did not suggest that it should be banned.

Bad optics to mix a vitamin with other harmful chemicals in this commercial.

 

[probinson]

Here is what RFK Jr wants to do with the food additive program GRAS:

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy has begun the process of eliminating a US Food and Drug Administration program called GRAS, or “generally recognized as safe,” that critics say has been abused by the food industry for decades.​

​

Nearly 99% of new chemicals used in food or food packaging since 2000 were green-lit for use not by the FDA but by the food and chemical industry, according to a 2022 analysis.​

​

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/health/gras-reform-kennedy-wellness/index.html

​

 

[iluvatar5150]

The OP title is blatant disinformation. At no point has RFK Jr said that he wanted to ban Riboflavin, and the Instagram video in the OP doesn't suggest that he does. He's reading from the list of ingredients in foods, but at no point did he suggest he wanted to ban Riboflavin.

Yes, RFK Jr was reading a list of ingredients that included Riboflavin, but he did not suggest that it should be banned.

You're missing or outright ignoring a lot of context of this video. First off, all of the readers imply that this stuff is bad because they can't pronounce the names. Then, at the end, you see "The Food Babe" (the dark-haired woman in the white outfit), who's one of the creators of the video. On her blog, she frequently includes riboflavin among the list of "synthetic vitamins" to be avoided:

Ingredients To Avoid In Processed Food

Want to know what the additives are in your food? Check this list to find out what it is, why to avoid it, and what types of food you’ll often find it in! You can download the list to your phone or grab the printable version below. This guide does not include absolutely everything, but covers …...

foodbabe.com

The Horrible Stuff In Protein Powder (Is it in yours?)

My favorite protein powder got recalled. And you’re never going to guess why… Unlike most recalls, it wasn’t contaminated with an allergen… And they also didn’t find some deadly bacteria in it… Nope, it was much worse. Okay, maybe not worse, but I was completely disgusted. They found rat...

foodbabe.com

Watching Your Weight? Don't Eat This For Lunch.

Watching Your Weight? Don't Eat This For Lunch.

foodbabe.com

As to whether RFK Jr supports this, he and other administration officials are participating in the video, which was posted by the official WH instagram page, and created by a group that has supported him in the past. Maybe that's not an explicit endorsement of "banning riboflavin", but it's a pretty strong implied endorsement.

 

[probinson]

You're missing or outright ignoring a lot of context of this video.

No, I'm not.

Show me where RFK Jr says that he wants to ban Riboflavin and I'll correct my statements. I've searched and I cannot find anywhere that RFK Jr states that he wants to ban Riboflavin. But I am willing to be corrected if you can show evidence otherwise.

 

[ozso]

No, he isn't "obviously" talking about that. He's reading from a list handed to him by the "MAHA Moms."



Did you watch the video? He read it off a list of ingredients that a "MAHA Mom" at the end described as "poisonous."

If you want to know why the "educated elites" treat the right and other, similar populist movements with such derision and contempt, it's because of things like this. The entire argument here amounts to "we're illiterate; we don't understand this; therefore, it's bad".

RFK is a Harvard educated elite.

Apparently the big fuss is he read a list of ingrediencies that had riboflavin as one of a bunch of other ingredients. When it comes to processed foods they have a long list of ingredients. Whereas the ingredient of a strawberry is a strawberry. Not every ingredient in the long list of ingredients is an issue. There can be a poisonous solution that has water as its main ingredient. There can be a substance that has 9 harmless ingredients and only 1 toxic ingredient.

I didn't hear any MAHA Mom say that riboflavin is poisonous.

One of them said, if you're a company that's putting something poisonous in the food you sell to the US, but not to other countries, we're coming for you.

And that is a thing. There are ingredients that are put in processed food that's distributed to the US, that aren't put into the same processed food that's sold to other countries, because they have standards against those items. What RFK and MAHA moms want is more transparency and tighter standards like other countries have. Which is not a bad thing that is being spun into being a bad thing.

 

[Larniavc]

Another question: Why are European health laws better than ours?

The value placed on people’s health has a relatively higher priority. The reasons for this are not entirely altruistic however.

 

[probinson]

What RFK and MAHA moms want is more transparency and tighter standards like other countries have. Which is not a bad thing that is being spun into being a bad thing.

You are correct.

I am convinced that no matter what RFK Jr does, there will be people who will resist it simply because RFK Jr is doing it. I mean, just look at the OP. It begins, "While there are definitely chemicals that should be removed from food...". You see, the OP apparently agrees that there are harmful chemicals that should be removed from food, but since RFK is involved, it's worthy of mocking.

Now I would agree that simply saying "I can't pronounce this" isn't the benchmark for anything, but I don't really think that was the point of the video. The point is that there are A LOT of additives in our food, and as the CNN article I posted stated, most of them were not green-lit for use by the FDA, but by the food and chemical industry.

 

[ozso]

It's one of the ingredients read off in the video, from the list that the "MAHA Moms" group wants banned. He seemed to agree with it.

Look, I get that this was just a publicity stunt (they hand a list of ingredients to people and ask them to read it, then talk about how bad it is that people can't pronounce the names of chemicals and they should be banned), but the official White House social media accounts sharing the video demonstrates tacit support for this stupidity. Whether or not someone can pronounce the chemical name of an ingredient is completely meaningless when it comes to its safety or fitness for human consumption.

I'd like to see you post the list published by MAHA moms of the ingredients they want banned, which I'm sure you read.

 

[iluvatar5150]

RFK is a Harvard educated elite.

Apparently the big fuss is he read a list of ingrediencies that had riboflavin as one of a bunch of other ingredients. When it comes to processed foods they have a long list of ingredients. Whereas the ingredient of a strawberry is a strawberry. Not every ingredient in the long list of ingredients is an issue. There can be a poisonous solution that has water as its main ingredient. There can be a substance that has 9 harmless ingredients and only 1 toxic ingredient.

You are not interpreting this correctly.

He was not reading a list of ingredients from a single food product. He was reading a list of ingredients that the MAHA Moms have deemed problematic.

I didn't hear any MAHA Mom say that riboflavin is poisonous.

They don't say it outright, but they certainly imply it:

Synthetic Vitamins
What they are: Lab-created vitamins made from a variety of sources like coal tar, petroleum or GMOs.

Examples: Vitamin A Palmitate,Thiamine (vitamin B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Folic Acid.

Why to avoid: These vitamins differ from their natural counterpart, thus they aren’t believed to be absorbed by your body as well as naturally present vitamins that you get from whole food. These are often found in foods labeled “Enriched” or “Fortified”. Some of these fortified foods have been found to have dangerously high levels of synthetic vitamins and minerals – especially for kids.

The association with "coal tar, petroleum, or GMO's" is there for a reason.

 

[ozso]

You are not interpreting this correctly.

He was not reading a list of ingredients from a single food product. He was reading a list of ingredients that the MAHA Moms have deemed problematic.

Can you post that list?

They don't say it outright, but they certainly imply it:

In what words exactly?

Synthetic Vitamins
What they are: Lab-created vitamins made from a variety of sources like coal tar, petroleum or GMOs.

Examples: Vitamin A Palmitate,Thiamine (vitamin B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Folic Acid.

Why to avoid: These vitamins differ from their natural counterpart, thus they aren’t believed to be absorbed by your body as well as naturally present vitamins that you get from whole food. These are often found in foods labeled “Enriched” or “Fortified”. Some of these fortified foods have been found to have dangerously high levels of synthetic vitamins and minerals – especially for kids.

What's the source of that statement?

The association with "coal tar, petroleum, or GMO's" is there for a reason.

Okay, what's the reason?

 

[ozso]

You are correct.

I am convinced that no matter what RFK Jr does, there will be people who will resist it simply because RFK Jr is doing it. I mean, just look at the OP. It begins, "While there are definitely chemicals that should be removed from food...". You see, the OP apparently agrees that there are harmful chemicals that should be removed from food, but since RFK is involved, it's worthy of mocking.

Now I would agree that simply saying "I can't pronounce this" isn't the benchmark for anything, but I don't really think that was the point of the video. The point is that there are A LOT of additives in our food, and as the CNN article I posted stated, most of them were not green-lit for use by the FDA, but by the food and chemical industry.

It's RFK derangement syndrome. There's also Musk derangement syndrome. Along with [insert Trump staff member here] derangement syndrome. They're all out to get us.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Maybe Simply Me is preparing to run for president?

I debunked that years ago. He had joked that way about the indecisiveness in others a few times before. None of the others were disabled. It didn't have anything to with Kovaleski's arthrogryposis.

You - me - main stream media, fact checkers all debunked it years ago - but hey! It makes Trump look bad - who cares if it is not true, just keep repeating it and it will become truth to some.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Can you post that list?

It's in the video in the OP. Did you watch it?

What's the source of that statement?

The first link I provided in post 26. Have you read the whole thread?

Okay, what's the reason?

To cast suspicion on its safety.

 

[ozso]

It's in the video.

I think you're misinterpreting the video. Which is why I'd like to see a written list published by MAHA moms.

The first link I provided in post 26. Have you read the whole thread?

I don't really have time for every bit of every single post made to others.

To cast suspicion on its safety.

For what reason? What exactly is the goal of MAHA moms sinister plot?

 

[probinson]

It's in the video in the OP. Did you watch it?

Again, they were simply reading a list of ingredients. Their point appeared to be that a lot of ingredients are hard to pronounce. But I didn't see anything in the video that stated or suggested, "This is the list of ingredients we want to ban".

 

[iluvatar5150]

I think you're misinterpreting the video. Which is why I'd like to see a written list published by MAHA moms.

From what I can gather, the bulk of their content resides primarily on TikTok and instagram. I've already linked you to the blog of one of the women behind the video, which has that list.

I don't really have time for every bit of every single post made to others.

Then you don't really have time to participate in discussions like this. Expecting to be spoon-fed every little bit of information isn't acting in good faith.

For what reason? What exactly is the goal of MAHA moms sinister plot?

Who knows. They're quacks.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Again, they were simply reading a list of ingredients. Their point appeared to be that a lot of ingredients are hard to pronounce. But I didn't see anything in the video that stated or suggested, "This is the list of ingredients we want to ban".

I don't understand how you can be that obtuse. There's long been a movement to cast aspersion on food chemicals that are hard to pronounce. At the end of the video, The "Food Babe" talks about poisonous additives, with the clear implication that that description applies to - I'm being generous here - at least some of the items listed earlier in the video. The links I've provided to her blog support that interpretation.

Now, if you want to argue that RFK and McMahon both got conned into reading something that was then used in a way they didn't support, I suppose that's your business, but then you'd have to explain why the final video was posted by the WH official account.