The J.M. Smucker Co. may consider lowering the amount of sugar in its products following the surge in Ozempic users in the U.S. However, the company believes Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. can't stop Americans from snacking.
On an earnings call with analysts Tuesday, CEO Mark Smucker said the company is not bothered by President-elect Donald Trump's pick for HHS secretary and believes that "snacking continues."
“As it relates to anything in the political domain, we believe very strongly that snacking continues,” Smucker said, as quoted by CNN.
“Consumers are going to continue to look for a way to reward themselves at different times throughout the day.”
Earlier this month, Trump nominated RFK Jr. for the HHS seat. While the Make America Healthy Again leader still has to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he has already announced his health care plans. Among his first agenda, removing toxic chemicals from food and banning the use of artificial dyes, including Red Dye No. 40 and Yellow Dye No. 5--both found on the Twinkies label.
Some studies have linked Red 40 to mental disorders in children, like attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD); while Yellow 5 may cause skin irritation and allergic reactions.
“The food industry ought to be quaking in its boots, but they don’t think it’s going to happen,” Marion Nestle, an expert on nutrition and food policy at New York University, told CNN.
While politics isn't a worry for the makers of popular snacks like Twinkies, Donnettes, and Uncrustables, the surge of GLP-1 use and the change in users' diets are pushing the company to consider changes to its ingredients.
“We continue to do an ongoing research on the impact of GLP-1 trends and what that might mean for our business,” Smucker said.
“We could look at reducing sugar. There’s a whole variety of innovations that we will bring to bear.”
GLP-1 agonists are type 2 diabetes medications used to help lower blood sugar levels. It is usually taken as a shot (injection) with one of its popular side effects being weight loss. Ozempic and Wegovy are known brand names of GLP-1.
A May 2024 KFF survey showed one in eight adults have taken GLP-1--of this number, about 40% said they took it to lose weight.
Amid all this, J.M. Smucker Co. still expects sales growth in the coming year.
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