FDA phasing out synthetic food dyes; food industry reactions mixed

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said it would establish a national timeline to phase out most synthetic food dyes by the end of next year. The FDA also began the process to revoke authorization for two other food colorings and said it would authorize four new natural alternatives in the upcoming weeks. The agency will also partner with the National Institutes of Health on studies exploring how food additives impact children’s health, it said.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the petroleum-based synthetic dyes toxic and poisonous in the FDA news release. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said he was asking the food industry to make products for American children with the same natural ingredients already used in Europe and Canada.

Makary also told reporters at a Tuesday press conference that the food industry was on board with the plan and there was no need to go through a long rulemaking process in Congress, according to CBS News.

What do food companies say? The International Dairy Foods Association, hours before the FDA announcement, said it would end the use of synthetic colors in dairy products sold to public schools by July 2026. The Consumer Brands Association thanked the FDA for setting a national standard, but asserted that the dyes were safe and asked the agency to prioritize peer-reviewed research in decision-making. Other industry groups including the National Confectioners Association, which said it wanted to work with Congress, pushed back on the decision. The International Association of Color Manufacturers said the decision ignored scientific evidence and that less than two years wasn’t enough time to reformulate colors, the Associated Press reported.

Which synthetic food dyes are on their way out?

• Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2 will be phased out by the end of next year.

• The FDA is working to revoke authorization for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B.

• The FDA already stopped authorizing Red No. 3 in January, but is now asking the food industry to remove it from products before the previous 2027-2028 deadline.

What are the natural color additives the FDA is fast-tracking for approval?

• Calcium phosphate

• Galdieria extract blue

• Gardenia blue

• Butterfly pea flower extract

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on a huge Walgreens settlement in a lawsuit over illegal prescriptions.