Washington DC - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took aim at ultraprocessed food and vaccinations during a Sunday appearance on CBS News' 60 Minutes program.

"That loophole was hijacked by the industry, and it was used to add thousands upon thousands of new ingredients into our food supply," RFK Jr. told CBS News' Bill Whitaker during an appearance on 60 Minutes.

"There is no way for any American to know if a product is safe if it is ultraprocessed."

Whitaker was gentle in his treatment of the HHS secretary, an avid vaccine skeptic who has overseen one of the US' biggest measles outbreaks in decades, focusing mainly on his campaign against processed food.

"I'm not saying that we're going to regulate ultraprocessed foods," RFK Jr. said. "Our job is to make sure that everybody understands what they’re getting – to have an informed public."

"My stance on vaccines is the same," he continued. "People should have good science, and they should have a choice... People who want to get those vaccines can get them, and they can get them fully insured."

Under RFK Jr., major changes have been made to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine recommendations, triggering widespread condemnation and even lawsuits from the medical community.

As part of the overhaul, RFK Jr. has slashed the number of vaccines recommended for children, a move that he justified as "better" because it emphasizes choice.

RFK Jr. dismantled one of the US' key vaccine panels last year, replacing them with vaccine skeptics and people loyal to the Trump administration.

In December, the new panel voted to end the recommendation that all newborn babies get vaccinated against hepatitis B.