Tampa General Hospital in Florida has become the first hospital in the United States to sign the "Make Hospital Food Healthier" pledge, committing to serve patients more nutritious, minimally processed meals. The move was welcomed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who praised the hospital as providing a "template" for others to follow as part of his wider push to improve food standards in American institutions.

The pledge was signed on Thursday by Tampa General Hospital's chief executive, John Couris, at a news conference also attended by US Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian. The hospital, which has around 1,000 beds, is the first in the country to formally adopt the commitment, positioning it at the forefront of a broader initiative encouraging healthcare institutions to overhaul the quality of food served to patients.