Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be at USDA today for what’s being billed as a “major announcement.” He’ll be joined by Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, and Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association.
CBA pushing companies to remove artificial food dyes
A major food industry group, the Consumer Brands Association, is getting behind the push by RFK Jr. to phase out synthetic food dyes.
Kennedy and others in the Make America Healthy Again movement announced earlier this year their plan to transition the food system away from synthetic dyes. However, this relied on voluntary buy-in from manufacturers.
Since this announcement, some of the biggest food and beverage giants have made public commitments to removing artificial dyes from products. The companies include Kraft Heinz, General Mills, PepsiCo, Tyson Foods and Nestlé USA.
States have also passed or are considering bills that would ban the use of many artificial colors from school meals or in the market entirely.
Take note: CBA also says it will push food and beverage makers to remove artificial dyes from products used in school meals by the start of the 2026-2027 school year.
“While these safe ingredients are supported by scientific evidence and a longstanding history of approval by the FDA, the industry recognizes preferences are evolving and is innovating to meet families where they are,” says Melissa Hockstad, president and CEO of CBA.
The group represents some of the biggest food manufacturers, including several that have already made commitments on dyes. CBA says FDA needs to increase access to safe and tested natural alternatives.
European leaders want U.S. deal but stress need for retaliation prep
European leaders are responding to President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat by backing the European Commission’s push for a negotiated outcome. But they still want to be prepared to retaliate.
The president said Saturday that EU exports would face 30% duties on Aug.1.
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“[I]t is more than ever up to the Commission to assert the Union's determination to resolutely defend European interests,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post to X. “[T]his implies speeding up the preparation of credible countermeasures, by mobilizing all the instruments at its disposal, including anti-coercion, if no agreement is reached by August 1st,” he added.
The EU has authority to retaliate by imposing its own tariffs, restricting trade or limiting U.S. access to public procurement, among other measures.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson issued a similar statement condemning the U.S. decision and warning that Europe is prepared to enforce “tough countermeasures.”
Take note: The EU’s pause on a retaliatory tariff package in response to the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs was set to expire this week. But Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters on Sunday that those would now begin in early August, to give more time for negotiations.
EU trade ministers are set to meet today for further discussions on the EU response.
Judge restrains ICE in seven Southern Calif. counties
A federal judge says federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can’t target workers based on their race. The judge has granted a temporary restraining order that also requires ICE to allow detained individuals access to legal counsel.
The order applies to operations in the seven counties covered by the Central District of California: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County.
The order had been sought by the American Civil Liberties Union, United Farm Workers and other groups, and two detained workers. Eighteen states are backing the plaintiffs in the case, including California, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
The order, which was quickly appealed by the Justice Department, says agents have likely violated the Fourth Amendment by relying illegally on four factors in rounding up Hispanics: apparent race or ethnicity; speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent; presence at a particular location, or the type of one work they do.
Take note: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized the ruling on Fox News Sunday, calling it “ridiculous.” “We never ran our operations that way,” she said.
White House border czar Tom Homan, speaking to CNN Sunday, said physical appearance was one of “a myriad of factors” that go into deciding whether to detain someone.
Major Great Lakes grain facility to close
Midwestern grain cooperative CHS is closing a grain terminal at the Port of Superior, Wisconsin. The facility handles 60% to 70% of the total grain volume at the port, which sits on the Western edge of Lake Superior.
Twenty-three workers will be let go, according to a notice the company submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Take note: According to a 2023 press release, the Wisconsin facility can store 18 million bushels of grain. It also loads and unloads railcars that bring grain to and from the port year-round.
CoBank: Look to automation as labor supply grows scarce
A new report from CoBank says rural businesses “should be increasing their focus on technology to overcome labor availability challenges.”
CoBank’s quarterly KnowledgeExchange report says “declining labor force participation, lower birth rates and a collapse in net migration are combining to squeeze the U.S. labor supply,” and the effects could be felt as soon as later this year.
Agriculture’s labor struggles have been highlighted by the ongoing uncertainty among farmworkers and disagreements within the Trump administration. President Trump has talked about granting “temporary passes” for farms that employ illegal immigrants.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins suggested last week that the ag workforce issue could be solved through automation and by having Medicaid recipients work on farms.
Final word
“The Constitution does not allow ICE to detain people merely because they look or sound a certain way.” – U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi‑Mensah Frimpong, in her ruling that found ICE had likely violated the Fourth Amendment in California.
Rebekah Alvey, Oliver Ward and Noah Wicks contributed to today’s Daybreak.
