Casey DeSantis’ food testing program flops in budget plans

DeSantis’ budget proposal for the next fiscal year suggests $5 million going to the program. The Senate is earmarking $2 million, while the House doesn’t put any money towards the initiative.

“I don’t know why the state needs to create its own version of the (federal Food and Drug Administration),” Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, told the News Service of Florida. “I think it’s great what the First Lady is doing, but no state employee has come and talked to me about why this is necessary.”

Andrade, the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee chairman, has been a vocal opponent of the Governor over the Hope Florida scandal.

Top state leaders were accused of using $10 million in taxpayer money to fund political campaigns opposing amendments on the 2024 ballot that would have legalized recreational marijuana and installed abortion rights in the constitution. The Hope Florida Foundation, a charity connected to Casey DeSantis, was used to funnel the money to political committees.

DeSantis’ office declined to comment for this story.

Casey DeSantis has praised U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and his Make America Healthy Again agenda, modeling her program after his. Like Kennedy, she has also been critical of vaccine mandates.

This year DeSantis has made numerous appearances touting her Healthy Florida First initiative, which tests for toxins and heavy metals in food. She’s led press conferences around the state highlighting the test results for infant formula, candy and bread.

Those results can be found at exposingfoodtoxins.com.

“Florida will continue to fight on behalf of families all across this great state and do what is within its authority to test, verify, retest, hold people accountable and bring transparency where families deserve answers,” Casey DeSantis said at a press conference where she announced the state’s testing results on infant formula.

According to the state, heavy metals were found in 16 of 24 infant formulas tested; 28 of the 46 candy products tested; and pesticides were found in six of the eight bread brands tested.

However, the results have spurred pushback from companies and advocacy groups in the food industry, who have questioned the state’s testing methodology.

According to Transparency Florida, the testing program has cost approximately $44,000 since it began in late 2025. 

Medallion Laboratories, which was founded as General Mills’ in-house lab, was paid $23,400, and New Jersey Dairy Laboratories was paid approximately $15,800.