BATON ROUGE — Sitting beside Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Gov. Jeff Landry signed a pair of bills into law on Friday aimed at "enhancing nutritional standards," as well as removing food additives and promoting the purchase of locally sourced produce and other healthy foods. 

"We can, we must, we will do better," Landry told an audience at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

The first of the two laws — SB 14 — restricts the sale of foods with additives, including food dyes and synthetic sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, at public schools. Food products with the targeted additives must also be branded with a disclaimer and QR code detailing the contents, the unanimously passed legislation says.

The law, which author Patrick McMath called the "Make America Healthy Again Act," also requires doctors to complete a nutrition and metabolic health course every four years. 

"We're mass poisoning (our kids) with toxic foods," Kennedy said, laying the blame for the problem MAHA seeks to fix at the feet of the purveyors of processed and fast foods.

Landry also signed SB 19, which makes the drug ivermectin more easily accessible. The use of the drug came under fire during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its use as a medicine for non-human animals. Landry said that the law he signed would give Louisianians access to the human version of the anti-parasite drug, calling it safe and saying it is used worldwide.

The governor also signed a letter to the Trump administration requesting the restriction of sales of unhealthy foods using Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program funds. In May, Landry signed an order to ask the federal government for the SNAP restriction, claiming it was an outright ban at the time. 

"The goal is to ensure our tax dollars are used effectively to promote health while aiding the most vulnerable," Landry said. "But our work is far from complete. We must continue to challenge a system that has been prioritizing profit over health."

The new legislation and appeal to the federal government is part of a larger movement to "Make America Healthy Again," Landry and HHS Secretary Kennedy said. 

"This initiative promotes a shift toward healthier living, better nutrition, a brighter future for our children and our families," Landry said. "The MAHA movement emphasizes small, impactful actions such as choosing water over soda, walking more, supporting local (farmers) or purchasing fresh produce."

He said a healthier population will also reduce the state's reliance on Medicaid. 

Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, then blamed the Centers for Disease Control for making the country the "sickest nation in the world," adding that $1.7 trillion annually goes to fighting chronic diseases. 

Kennedy said that Landry is working to fix this issue in Louisiana, which is ranked 49th in public health. Kennedy praised Landry's handling of what he called a "chronic disease epidemic in this country." 

"(This legislation) is going to change Louisiana," Kennedy said. "Four years from now, Louisiana is not gonna be 49th (in health) anymore."

He also claimed that the United States had the highest death rate during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that America had 16 percent of the pandemic-related deaths, despite having four percent of the world's population.

According to Johns Hopkins University, Peru had the highest mortality rate during the pandemic at nearly 666 deaths per 100,000 people; America was second on the list at 341 deaths per 100,000.

Among other claims, Cassidy also said that one in every 31 American children has autism, saying the cost of this will balloon to $1 trillion annually by 2030 and that 75 percent of American kids are no longer able to qualify for military service. 

According to ABC News, medical experts say this increase from one in 150 in 2000 is largely due to better awareness, better access to screening and services and diagnosis of the wide range of autism spectrum disorders.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered along Perkins Road ahead of the signing at Pennington. As they marched from Velodrome Park, the group carried signs claiming "RFK is the danger, NOT vaccines," referencing the top health official's critique of vaccinations. 

"Vaccines Make America Healthy," another sign read. 

Over the last month, Kennedy has made multiple widespread changes across the nation's health department, including ousting the entire CDC vaccine advisory committee. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor, welcomed Kennedy to Baton Rouge earlier in the week. His office said that the pair worked together to "eliminate harmful ingredients and artificial dyes, safeguard children from sex change operations, and, most recently, increase patients’ access to life-saving treatment through prior authorization reform."

“I know how passionate you are—and I am—about having good nutrition to Make America Healthy Again,” Cassidy, who chaired the committee that confirmed Kennedy's nomination as HHS secretary earlier this year, said.

Despite voting to approve Kennedy, Cassidy expressed concerns about his stance on vaccines during the Senate confirmation hearing.