RFK Jr. Demands Dunkin' and Starbucks Show Safety Data on 115-Gram Coffees

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a crowd in Austin that he will ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks to “show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it,” and added, “I don’t think they’re gonna be able to do it.” The line, reported across Washington Post, Axios, USA TODAY, WCVB, OregonLive, and Them Us, immediately drew a public response from Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on X that riffed on the 1835 “Come and Take It” flag.

Kennedy made the remarks at an Austin event billed by organizers as the “Make America Healthy Again” rally and described by local TV as the “Austin Eat Real Food Rally,” an event WCVB reports was hosted by MAHA Action. Multiple outlets say the comments came “last week,” and WCVB noted Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the demand.

The 115-gram figure Kennedy singled out is specific and provoked menu-level scrutiny. Them Us reported a quick check of Dunkin’s nutrition cheat sheet turned up a single item listed at 115 grams of sugar: a medium Mocha Swirl Frozen Coffee with Cream. Them Us also noted that, depending on size, several menu items can exceed 115 grams and that Dunkin’s menu includes many sugar-free options; the outlet added that Dunkin released a Zero Sugar energy drink “on Wednesday morning.”

Nutrition experts pushed back on the safety framing with concrete numbers. Tufts dietician Sandra Zhang told WCVB that recommended daily sugar intake is 50 grams and that many specialty coffees exceed that amount. Zhang advised using sugary specialty coffees “maybe once per week” and said consumers should learn “how to look for nutrition labels on these drinks,” highlighting the disconnect between a single beverage’s sugar load and daily guidelines.

The coffee challenge arrived amid Kennedy’s broader nutrition agenda. USA TODAY framed the remarks in the context of HHS policy changes earlier this year that emphasized protein and healthy fats while minimizing grains; Kennedy has said, “Eat real food,” and called the dietary shift “the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history.” WCVB also reported Kennedy told 60 Minutes the Food and Drug Administration is considering petitions to remove safety status for carbohydrates and that HHS will review citizen petitions seeking to strip sweeteners and starches of GRAS status.

Local reaction was immediate and pointed. USA TODAY noted Kennedy’s Massachusetts roots and described Gov. Healey’s X post as a sharp rebuttal to a chain beloved in the state; Axios said “Massachusetts residents blew up.” WCVB captured two customers on camera: Amy Pattelena said, “I think we have greater issues like food deserts and other things that are causing obesity. I don't think Dunkin's having sugary drinks is causing the problems,” while Kelly Hartnett said, “He's micro-focusing, which is the worst way to do it. It just shuts people off to change, period.”

Reporters and public-health officials now face clear follow-ups: obtain the full video transcript of Kennedy’s Austin remarks, get formal statements from Dunkin’ and Starbucks on any safety data they cite, verify Dunkin’s nutrition listing for the medium Mocha Swirl Frozen Coffee with Cream and other high-sugar items, and press HHS for details on the procedural path Kennedy described regarding GRAS and carbohydrate petitions. The answers will determine whether this becomes a straightforward consumer-transparency fight or the start of deeper regulatory scrutiny of sugary chain beverages.