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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday claimed that people have been “raving” about Steak ‘n Shake’s french fries ever since the fast food chain stopped using seed oils in its recipe.
“Steak ‘n Shake just switched out, and people are raving about these French fries,” Kennedy told Fox News host Sean Hannity, during an interview from one of the chain’s restaurants in Florida.
“It’s a completely different experience,” the HHS secretary said of the fries, which the company now makes with beef tallow in place of vegetable oil.
“The customers are raving about it,” he continued. “Steak and Shake has been great. We’re very grateful to them for RFKing the french fries.”
Kennedy, while chowing down on fries and a double cheeseburger, noted that he believes seed oils could be one of the main catalysts behind the “epidemic” of chronic disease in America.
“Seed oil is one of the components of processed foods, and all the science indicates that ultra processed foods are the principal culprit in this extraordinary explosion – the epidemic we have of chronic disease,” he said.
The HHS secretary has previously mentioned that ending the “childhood chronic disease epidemic” will be one of his top priorities during President Trump’s second term.
Despite Kennedy’s concerns with seed oils and processed foods, he said he wouldn’t support an outright ban on the products, preferring to instead “incentivize” companies to transition away from seed oils, like Steak ‘n Shake did on March 1.
“I have a libertarian outlook,” RFK Jr. told Hannity. “People should be able to make their own choices. If you want to eat a donut, or seed oils, you should be able to.”
“You should be able to exercise informed choice,” he added. “You should know what that product is, what’s in your food and what the health impacts are. That’s all we’re going to do.”
“President Trump wants us to have radical transparency and to incentivize companies like [Steak ‘n Shake] to switch to traditional ingredients, like beef tallow,” Kennedy said.
“We’re going to inform Americans about what’s been making them sick.”
RFK Jr. signaled that other restaurant chains, including Popeyes, Outback Steakhouse, Sweetgreen and Buffalo Wild Wings have all recently switched away from seed oils or are in the process of making the transition.
“We want to do everything that we can to incentivize these companies to be transparent, to switch over from ultra processed food, and to be part of this movement to make America healthier,” he said.
