TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced new study results Monday showing potentially dangerous levels of toxic substances found in popular candy bars, another sign of Florida’s alignment with the Make America Healthy Again movement promoted by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The GOP governor, flanked by first lady Casey DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo at a news conference in The Villages, said the study’s results show some of the most popular candies on the market could leave children exposed to high levels of arsenic. The results will be posted on the Healthy Florida First website, following results released earlier this month that showed toxic substances in several types of baby formula.
“We want parents to know what’s out there,” DeSantis said during the news conference. “Maybe not everything is created equal in terms of what would be the healthiest options.”
The heightened health care and food scrutiny are a priority for top Trump health adviser Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who leads the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ladapo, one of Kennedy’s closest allies, said the results signal a relationship between private industry and the government to put profits over health.
