SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – To a follow up on a controversial story regarding coffee, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called on chains like Dunkin’ and Starbucks to prove that their sugary drinks are safe. Now, the secretary and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey are in a high-profile, lighthearted social media battle.
It’s been back and forth with the Governor and the Health Secretary, all over a cup of joe. The latest response comes from Governor Maura Healey this Friday morning, when she visited our news station to interview with Dave Madsen for Getting Answers Weekend.
Before we bring you her remarks, let’s take it back to the beginning when RFK Jr. first said he’s asking Dunkin’ to require “proof of safety data” for sugary drinks in an effort to Make America Healthy Again.
That comment made its way over to Massachusetts, where Dunkin’ was born over 75 years ago, and avid coffee drinker Governor Healey posted her response on “X.” What she shared with her followers, an altered version of the Texas “Come and Take It” flag, with an iced Dunkin’ drink in the center.
On Thursday night, Secretary Kennedy responded to Governor Healey on social media, writing: “no one is taking away your Dunkin’. But isn’t it reasonable to ask whether a drink loaded with 180 grams of sugar is safe?”
According to CBS News, federal dietary guidelines recommend meals should have no more than 10 grams of added sugar, and per the Dunkin’ menu, nearly every drink exceeds that amount, with at least six having more than 100 grams of sugar. The 180 grams of sugar that the secretary is referencing is equal to about 45 sugar packets, that’s about 10 servings of vanilla ice cream, all in one drink.
So, when the governor visited our station this morning, we asked her how the social media reply made her feel, “I don’t appreciate RFK cut food, you know, SNAP benefits early on. He took away vaccines. They’ve taken a trillion dollars out of health care. You know, we face the specter of rural and community hospitals closing around the country as a result, you know, and we’ve got a measles outbreak, you know, thank you, RFK. So, the other day, he came after Dunkin’ and, like, I mean, focus on the measles, okay?”
Nicole Frank-Maslar, a registered dietitian with Pyramid Nutrition Services, said that those types of menu options have a real health risk and cost. She said to consider the sugar and calories that are added to these drinks and enjoy them on a random basis more than a regular one.
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