RFK Jr Implied Bacon Isn't Processed

RFK Jr recently said that he does not eat processed foods, but that he does eat bacon – seemingly implying, incorrectly, that cured meats are not processed.

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior, who is commonly known as RFK Jr, recently said that he stays healthy by avoiding processed foods and “anything” with more than three ingredients. However, he added that he sometimes eats bacon and eggs for breakfast as a protein source he “enjoys.”

Bacon is a processed red meat classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO), meaning that it’s known to cause cancer, particularly colorectal cancer. While we do not know what bacon RKF Jr eats, a typical bacon product in the US, such as Oscar Mayer Original Naturally Hardwood Smoked Bacon, contains up to seven ingredients, including sodium phosphates, sodium ascorbate, and sodium nitrite.

In addition to bacon for breakfast and “a lot of protein” for dinner, RFK Jr said that he snacks on plant-based foods like peanuts, pistachios, and dried mango in between. He also practices intermittent fasting, and tries not to eat anything between around midday and 7pm, but still eats “a lot of food” in between.

RFK Jr, chronic illness, and the “MAHA” Report

Photo shows a pan of streaky bacon cooking in fat and oil — Adobe Stock Regular bacon consumption is linked with an increased risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and cancer

RFK Jr made the comments in an episode of Paul Saladino’s podcast, filmed at the White House in May. Both RFK Jr and Saladino, who is popularly known as the “Carnivore MD,” have also separately advocated for “raw” or unpasteurised milk consumption as a way to promote health.

In a since-deleted X post from 2024, Saladino suggested feeding “raw dairy” to infants, and the podcast ended with both men drinking raw milk with honey.

In addition to RFK Jr’s daily routine, he and Saladino talked about spirituality, the outdoors, and his flagship “MAHA Report” on chronic illness, published in May. The report has been criticized for containing citations to seven nonexistent studies and misrepresenting several others, undermining the scientific credibility of the department under RFK Jr’s leadership.

Speaking to Saladino on the podcast, RFK Jr incorrectly described autism as a “neurological injury.” Alongside autism, he listed conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy as “injuries that were unknown when I was a kid,” and added, “a lot of it is linked to the food and medications.” In fact, the so-called rise in ASD and ADHD is linked to more effective diagnostics and greater awareness.

Earlier this month, nearly 500 scientists and staff at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the top funder of academic research in the US, published a statement calling out NIH officials for politicizing the department and the scientific field in general. A second statement backing the first has since been signed by at least 19 Nobel Prize Winners and two former NIH leaders.