"Don't Drink Coca-Cola or Pepsi" Concerns... US Beverage Group Busy Lobbying

Minister-Designate of Health and Welfare Reviews Excluding Carbonated Drinks from Government Support
WSJ "Lobbyists Sought from Trump Allies Including Coca-Cola"

As the second term of the Donald Trump administration officially approaches, global beverage companies such as Coca-Cola have rushed into lobbying efforts. This move comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services, seeks to exclude processed beverages like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo from the federal government's food assistance program.

AP Yonhap News

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently reported, citing sources, that Coca-Cola is actively working to hire lobbyists with close ties to President-elect Trump. The U.S. Beverage Association, which includes members such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper, also plans to donate funds to Trump's inauguration.

American beverage companies are striving to establish relationships with Kennedy, the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Brooke Rollins, the nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, even through lobbyists, because there is an increasing possibility that some processed beverages will be excluded from the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for low-income individuals.

SNAP is a federal program that provides funds to low-income households to purchase groceries. Until now, low-income Americans have been able to buy sugary carbonated drinks such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper with their food assistance benefits, but Kennedy Jr. is considering excluding these beverages and some processed foods from the SNAP program's list of supported items.

As of the 2023 fiscal year, an average of 42.1 million people per month, or 12.6% of Americans, receive government support through the SNAP program to purchase groceries. Consumers spend an average of $211.93 (approximately 308,000 KRW) per month on groceries with these benefits, and the federal government spends $112.8 billion to support this.

President-elect of the United States Donald Trump (right in the photo) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Photo by AP Yonhap News

Nominee Kennedy Jr. has described sugary carbonated drinks as "poison" and, together with President-elect Trump, is promoting the slogan "Make America Healthy Again." In a WSJ op-ed last September, he criticized the situation, stating, "It makes no sense for American taxpayers to spend hundreds of billions of dollars enabling low-income Americans to consume 'junk' that harms their health."

Voices opposing the use of government funds to purchase unhealthy foods have existed for some time. In Congress, there have been multiple efforts to exclude carbonated drinks and processed foods from government assistance lists. For example, Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Josh Brecheen jointly introduced a bill last year to prohibit the purchase of carbonated drinks and processed foods with SNAP benefits. They emphasized that the government should not fund food and beverages that contribute to obesity and diabetes. Representative Brecheen plans to reintroduce the bill in January next year, determined to pass it with the support of President-elect Trump and nominee Kennedy Jr.

Because the consumption of beverages through the SNAP program is significant in the U.S., the related industry fears that actual implementation of such policies could severely impact their performance. In response, beverage companies are persuading the government and lawmakers that they are helping consumers make healthier choices by clearly labeling calories and other ingredients on carbonated drinks and offering sugar-free beverages as well.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (far right) holding a hamburger received as an in-flight meal together with Donald Trump, President-elect of the United States (second from left) (Photo by Donald Trump Jr. SNS)

However, it is considered somewhat ironic that President-elect Trump is famously fond of diet cola and hamburgers. During his first term, he installed a "cola request" button on the desk in the Oval Office, and during his presidential campaign, he staged appearances working at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. During this year's campaign, his staff placed and provided diet cola and fast food throughout the campaign offices for staff consumption.

Last month, nominee Kennedy Jr. appeared on a podcast and criticized President-elect Trump's eating habits, saying, "The food he eats is really, really bad." He added, "The food consumed during the campaign was always poor, but the food served on the plane is nothing short of poison." He also mentioned a conversation with Dana White, CEO of UFC and a close associate of Trump, saying, "White said he has never seen Trump drink water on long flights."