A remark by the U.S. Minister of Agriculture that a meal meeting the Donald Trump administration's new dietary guidelines can be had for $3 (4,400 won) has sparked controversy. In the United States, critics say the comment is out of touch with reality.
On the 15th (local time), the Guardian reported that Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Minister of Agriculture, said in an interview the day before that Americans could have a meal that fits the new diet for $3 if they ate "one piece of chicken, one piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla and one other food."
Minister Rollins gave the answer in an interview with the U.S. news channel NewsNation the day before, when asked how average Americans would handle the expense of changing their diets to meet the new guidelines.
Rollins said they "ran more than 1,000 simulations," adding that it "can actually save average Americans money."
On the 7th, Minister of Health and Welfare Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Minister Rollins unveiled new dietary guidelines that advise avoiding ultra-processed foods with added sugars and recommend consuming red meat and full-fat dairy products.
Concerns have been raised that the new guidelines could be an expense burden for Americans. According to U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, food prices rose 0.7% in the previous month from a month earlier. By item, produce increased 0.5% and beef prices rose 1%.
Minister Rollins also claimed in the interview that grocery prices are falling. Rollins said, "The brief increase at the end of the year was because the holidays led many people to spend more at grocery stores," adding that "the actual overall prices of eggs, chicken, pork, milk, broccoli and so on are going down."
As Rollins' interview spread, mockery and criticism poured in, led by Democrats.
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu posted a photo of a plate with one piece of chicken, broccoli, a tortilla, and one peppermint candy, noting, "Prices are rising, yet the Trump administration proposes this."
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey said, "The Trump administration is out of touch with the reality of the difficulties families face," adding, "They don't know how much dinner costs, they have no interest in bringing grocery prices down to something people can afford, and they don't know how people make ends meet."
Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal criticized Rollins' comment as "an insult to hard-pressed working families."