March 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of Health and Human

Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to meet with senior

executives from leading food companies like General Mills ( GIS )

and PepsiCo ( PEP ) on March 10, Politico reported on

Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The idea of such a meeting was first seeded among industry

players in February led by the Consumer Brands Association,

which represents packaged food companies, alcoholic beverage

companies and others, the report said.

Kennedy Jr. agreed to the proposed meeting with food company

leaders at the White House's suggestion, which has urged Cabinet

members to engage with industry representatives, according to

the report.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, General

Mills ( GIS ) and PepsiCo ( PEP ) did not immediately respond to Reuters

requests for comment.

Kennedy, an environmental and anti-vaccine activist, has

made calls for banning hundreds of food additives and chemicals.

He has also called for getting ultra-processed foods out of

school lunches as part of a goal to reduce the incidence of

diet-related chronic diseases.

During his run for U.S. president, Kennedy said that he

wanted to "Make America Healthy Again," calling out additives,

chemicals and sugar used in packaged foods and sodas as culprits

for causing chronic illness in the United States.

Early last month, Kennedy took charge of the U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services with oversight of medicines,

vaccines and food safety. Shares of vaccine makers and packaged

food companies had fallen at that time on news of him moving

closer to a full Senate confirmation.