During his 2024 campaign for the White House, President-elect Donald Trump told voters he’d work to lower prices. Trump pointed to grocery costs as one of the areas he’d target to help consumers struggling with higher prices.
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Voters and consumer experts are waiting to see how the Trump administration will balance that promise of lower prices with pledges to change the food system in the United States to make it healthier.
Trump’s pick for secretary of health and human services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “…has pledged to transform America’s food system, vowing to crack down on foods and ingredients he blames for many of the nation’s ills, including ultra-processed foods and food additives,” according to NBC News.
As head of HHS, RFK Jr. would lead a huge agency with lots of responsibilities, including drug approvals and food recalls.
“If confirmed, Kennedy will lead one of the largest federal departments — responsible not only for medications and vaccines, but also for agencies that fund medical research, provide public health insurance to millions of Americans and oversee the nation’s response to public health emergencies like pandemics,” according to NPR.
GOBankingRates talked to consumer experts for their views on how RFK Jr. could impact grocery bills as head of HHS.
Agricultural Regulations
“As head of HHS, RFK Jr. would likely influence food policies, particularly around health regulations and agricultural practices,” said Aziz Bekishov, a consumer expert and CEO of DC Mobile Notary. “If he pushes for stricter food labeling or bans on certain additives, grocery prices could rise due to increased compliance costs for manufacturers.”
On the other hand, Bekishov said, policies promoting sustainable farming and local food production might reduce long-term costs by decreasing dependency on imported goods.
“Agricultural regulations could shift food production costs,” said Andrew Lokenauth, money expert and owner of Fluent in Finance. “Changes to organic farming standards might impact produce prices. New food safety protocols could impact farming operational costs.”
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Food Inspection Changes
Lokenauth said modified inspection processes could affect supply-chain timing and, ultimately, the amount you pay for meats and other products. However, streamlined or enhanced protocols might lower some food-processing expenses for companies.
At the same time, per Lokenauth, new safety standards might influence packaging costs.
Nutritional Guidance
How might changes to school lunch programs affect your prices at the grocery story? Lokenauth said they could impact overall market demand. In addition, any modified food stamp policies might also impact demand and pricing.
Supply Chain Oversight
When it comes to supply chains and RFK Jr. as head of HHS, Lokenauth is watching delivery and distribution costs.
“Different transportation regulations might affect delivery costs,” Lokenauth said. “Food storage requirement changes could impact preservation expenses, while modified interstate commerce rules might influence distribution costs.”
As for how consumers can deal with higher prices, Bekishov said one way is to focus on reducing food waste to help offset potential price increases. Buying seasonal produce, shopping at farmers’ markets and joining co-ops are other practical ways Bekishov suggested for saving money.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Ways RFK Jr. Could Affect Your Grocery Bill If Appointed by Trump
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