HHS official alleges industry-backed group is staging fake food-safety advocacy

A senior adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services, Calley Means, used X to assert that the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness (STOP) is a counterfeit advocacy group financed by corporations that produce processed foods. According to Means, the group supplies media commentary that attacks Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s promotion of organic and minimally processed foods, while arguing that ultraprocessed items are safer.

STOP’s chief executive, Sandra Eskin, was appointed by President Joe Biden as the USDA’s deputy under secretary for food safety in 2021 and the nonprofit’s website lists partners such as Hershey, Kellogg, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Amazon, Costco and Wegmans. The controversy arises as Kennedy addresses a cyclospora outbreak linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce, stating the situation is under control following a recall. He also launched “The Real Food Show” to encourage families toward healthier eating. HHS, STOP and Means did not respond to requests for comment.