FDA Targets Synthetic Food Dyes In Sweeping Nutrition Overhaul

Government health agencies are pushing forward an overhaul of food additive rules to remove petroleum-based artificial dyes from products sold in the U.S.

The effort, revealed on Wednesday, falls under health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's larger "Make America Healthy Again" plan, which seeks to boost national health by tightening dietary guidelines.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services introduced a roadmap outlining the shift toward plant-based food colorings across the industry.

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"For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

"These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children's health and development. That era is coming to an end.

As part of the plan, approvals for two synthetic dyes, Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B, will be rescinded in the coming months.

Regulators are coordinating with manufacturers to eliminate six commonly used food colorings: FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, FD&C Green No. 3, and FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2 by the end of next year.

The FDA also encouraged companies to retire FD&C Red No. 3 ahead of the current 2027-2028 target. To support a seamless shift, the agency intends to authorize four new naturally derived color additives in the near future.

It is also speeding up the evaluation process for substitutes such as butterfly pea flower extract, Galdieria blue, gardenia blue, and calcium phosphate. In addition, updated regulatory guidelines are being developed to assist manufacturers in meeting the new requirements.

In collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the FDA will undertake a broad research effort to assess how food dyes influence children's development and well-being.

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