Trump admin accused of censoring NIH’s top expert on ultra-processed foods

Kevin Hall, a leading expert on ultra-processed foods at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has resigned due to allegations of censorship by top officials linked to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Hall claimed that his research did not align with the preconceived beliefs of agency leadership about the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods. His study, published in Cell Metabolism, suggested that these foods do not cause large dopamine responses similar to addictive drugs, implying a more complex mechanism behind overconsumption. Hall's findings slightly contradicted Kennedy Jr.'s stance that food companies exploit additives to make such foods addictive.