Goodbye to Food Dyes: FDA’s Latest Color News

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced measures to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply. This follows the U.S. government’s ban of Red Dye No. 3 earlier this year.

Several states have already banned some synthetic food dyes. Last year, California banned six dyes from food served in public schools, and most recently, West Virginia passed a bill banning seven synthetic food dyes. It was only a matter of time before the FDA stepped in.

Plans to Remove Synthetic Dyes

Some of the main actions the FDA is taking include:

1. Establishing a national standard and timeline to transition from petrochemical-based dyes to natural alternatives
2. Initiating the process to revoke authorization for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B within the coming months
3. Working to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes from the food supply by the end of 2026:
   • FD&C Green No. 3
   • FD&C Red No. 40
   • FD&C Yellow No. 5
   • FD&C Yellow No. 6
   • FD&C Blue No. 1
   • FD&C Blue No. 2
4. Requesting food companies to remove FD&C Red No. 3 sooner than the 2027-2028 deadline previously required

The Natural (Color) Next Step

This announcement completely opens the door for natural color alternatives. In fact, the FDA announced that it will also authorize four new natural color additives in the coming weeks, while also accelerating the review and approval of others. The FDA is fast-tracking the review of calcium phosphate, Galdieria extract blue, gardenia blue, butterfly pea flower extract, and other natural alternatives to synthetic food dyes. 

While some food and beverage manufacturers have already removed synthetic dyes from their products, others have time to re-formulate with a rainbow of natural options from color suppliers. Consumers will soon find ingredient statements that are naturally colorful with sources like red beets, turmeric, carrots, and spirulina.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/hhs-fda-phase-out-petroleum-based-synthetic-dyes-nations-food-supply

Author: Linda Ohr

Linda Ohr is a Senior Copy and Content Marketer with more than two decades of writing about food ingredients, nutraceuticals, and health and wellness trends for leading food industry publications. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois.