The New York Times (NYT) is being ruthlessly mocked on social media for its ridiculous fact-check about Froot Loops cereal and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s criticism of artificial ingredients.
The NYT article titled “Kennedy’s Vow to Take On Big Food Could Alienate His New G.O.P Allies” focused on Kennedy’s top goal of limiting processed foods and their effects on consumers. Kennedy was recently nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which will help advance the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.
The outlet claimed that Kennedy’s appointment would affect the relationship between the GOP and corporate America, especially large food manufacturing companies.
The specific “fact-check” was a response to an obviously exaggerated comment from Kennedy during an interview on MSNBC, where the Democrat-turned-independent asked: “Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients and you go to Canada and it has two or three?”
The left is the ingredient list for Froot Loops in the United States. The right is the ingredient list in Canada. pic.twitter.com/pFjvTvcj4h
— Anna Matson (@AnnaRMatson) November 17, 2024
Obviously, Kennedy doesn’t actually believe that there are “two or three” ingredients in the Canadian version of Froot Loops, he was just trying to make a point. However, that didn’t stop the NYT writers from “fact-checking” the remark — claiming that Kennedy “was wrong on the ingredient count” and that Froot Loops in Canada and the United States are “roughly the same.”
The outlet immediately goes on to contradict that last statement, writing: “But the Canadian version does have natural colorings made from blueberries and carrots while the U.S. product contains red dye 40, yellow 5 and blue 1 as well as Butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT, a lab-made chemical that is used ‘for freshness,’ according to the ingredient label.”
That ridiculous fact-check prompted mockery on social media.
“I cannot believe this is a real paragraph in The New York Times. I didn’t think they can possibly lose even more credibility. You literally can’t make this up,” Libs of TikTok wrote, sharing a screenshot of the paragraph.
Holy shlit. I cannot believe this is a real paragraph in The New York Times. I didn’t think they can possibly lose even more credibility. You literally can’t make this up pic.twitter.com/KZ53NPVefu
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 17, 2024
“The NY Times is trying to be funny, right?” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) responded.
The NY Times is trying to be funny, right? https://t.co/jgBPuZqUGe
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) November 17, 2024
“They totally contradicted themselves. ‘he was wrong’. ‘The ingredient list is roughly the same’… Except for all the crap added in the US, which is exactly what RFK Jr. said. He wasn’t wrong,” another user wrote.
They totally contradicted themselves. "he was wrong". "The ingredient list is roughly the same"… Except for all the crap added in the US, which is exactly what RFK Jr. said. He wasn't wrong.
— Mike the Terrible 🇺🇸 (@MikeHeals73) November 17, 2024
Meanwhile, Trump has highlighted his goals regarding appointing Kennedy as HHS secretary, writing in a Truth Social post last week that the American people have been “crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies.”
“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” he wrote. “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.”
“Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!” Trump added.
🚨IT'S OFFICIAL: Trump selects Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS.
"For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health," the president-elect… pic.twitter.com/5yskjxYsjV
— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) November 14, 2024
