Kennedy and Zeldin in Utah: First State Fluoride Ban, School-Meal Additives Ban, and SNAP Soda Waiver
April 9, 2025 · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services · 0:01:39
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What happened
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., introducing himself alongside his friend EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, said they came to Utah because Utah just became the first state in the country to ban supplemental fluoride, which he said makes no sense to have in the water supply, according to Kennedy.
Kennedy said that at the CDC, the administration is reassembling the task force to look at fluoride again and determine what its recommendation will be, according to Kennedy. Zeldin announced that EPA is going back to look at the studies, which Kennedy called an important update, according to the remarks. Kennedy praised the passion of the secretary’s counterparts, parents, and elected leaders in Salt Lake City rallying together and demanding action, according to the video.
Kennedy said Utah has taken the lead on many other issues: it banned chemical additives in school lunches, and it is one of the first states to apply for a SNAP waiver to ban soda purchases with food stamps, according to Kennedy. He thanked the Utah state legislature and President Trump, and said he looks forward to continuing the partnership to Make America Healthy Again, according to the remarks. The department’s description lists the three Utah measures as banning fluoride in public drinking water, banning specific dyes and chemical additives in public school meals, and banning soda purchases using SNAP benefits, according to the description.
Why it matters
The Utah stop is the MAHA tour’s state-policy model as its leaders stated it: a first-in-the-nation fluoride ban with federal reviews reopened at both CDC and EPA, plus school-food and SNAP measures.
Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “MAHA Tour visit to Utah with Administrator Lee Zeldin”, 2025-04-09 (official upload, embedded above; published 2025-04-09). Transcript via Supadata (private research store, paraphrased and attributed, not republished). All figures and characterizations as stated by the speakers.
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