Jax Bari Shared the Podium With Cheryl Hines, Dr. Oz & Lee Zeldin at MAHA Action Reception at Ned's Club
- Jon Bari
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
Jax spoke at the MAHA Action reception in Washington, D.C. which celebrated the heart of MAHA -- the families, advocates, and community leaders standing alongside them to restore health for the next generation. Jax was honored to share the podium with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's wife Cheryl Hines, CMS Administrator Dr. Oz, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Calley Means and Tony Lyons.
Jax's Remarks
Hi. I'm Jax Bari. I’m 13 years old, and I’m the MAHA Kid!
Chronic disease is surging across America: it's time to Eat Real Food, Get Active, Live Real Life and Take Back Our Health!
That's why I support MAHA! That’s why I support the new Dietary Guidelines, the Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use, and Secretary Kennedy’s radical transparency of food ingredients.
Like Jon Bernthal, I have Celiac Disease, a potentially life-threatening food allergy and autoimmune disease triggered by eating Gluten, a protein found in Wheat, Barley, Rye and most Oats. There are 3.3 million Americans with Celiac, including 729,000 kids like me.
If I eat just a crumb of Gluten, just a crumb, I get violently sick for days, and Gluten damages my small intestine.
Since 2006, only Wheat has been required to be labeled in the U.S. as a Major Food Allergen, but not Barley, Rye and Oats. That’s created a massive food safety gap which can be closed by Secretary Kennedy using his existing authority to issue rulemaking to declare Barley, Rye and Oats as Major Food Allergens. This will turn the tide on the Gluten guessing game.
87 other countries require the labeling of Gluten including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
Since Gluten grains are not declared as Major Food Allergens in the U.S., Celiacs have been forced to rely on products that are voluntarily labeled Gluten Free.
Often, these are ultra-processed foods that have been created to be sold in a premium marketplace of high-priced Gluten Free products.
Eating without fear is my goal!
In response to the MAHA Strategy Report and my Citizen Petition, the FDA issued a Request for Information to require Gluten labeling on packaged foods in the U.S.
More than 6,100 comments were submitted to the FDA!
About 99.5% of comments all supported my common sense solution to declare Barley, Rye & Oats a Major Food Allergens.
Many comments noted that Barley, Rye and Oats are often hidden in seasonings, natural flavors, and spices, and not disclosed.
Big Food is fighting the MAHA Strategy Report’s initiative to require Gluten labeling.
Consumer Brands Association represents "more than 2,000 iconic brands" including Pepsi, Kellogg's, Nestle, Kraft Heinz, and General Mills, and they are against gluten labeling.
Corporate capture runs so deep!
The Celiac Disease Foundation is funded by General Mills and Cheerios. The Celiac Disease Foundation logo is on every box of Cheerios.
Now Celiac Disease Foundation is fighting against the labeling of Oats. It’s no wonder -- General Mills is the largest seller of Oats in the U.S.
We are grateful to Senator McCormick for calling on Secretary Kennedy to use his existing statutory authority to require the labeling of Barley, Rye and Oats as Major Food Allergens.
We are also working with various members of Congress including Senator John Fetterman, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Representative Paul Gosar to introduce the Food Allergy, Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act of 2026 which will require the labeling of Barley, Rye and Oats as Major Food Allergens.
We are working on parallel paths!
Help me call on Secretary Kennedy and Congress to get this MAHA initiative done to protect 729,000 kids like me with Celiac Disease.
Let’s do this!
