FDA moves to phase out petroleum-based food dyes
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary,
along with other Trump administration officials, announced a series of moves to rid the American food
supply of the dyes, including revoking authorization for two food dyes (Citrus
Red No. 2 and Orange B), working with industry to eliminate six other synthetic
dyes by the end of next year and authorizing four new natural color additives
in coming weeks.
The agencies will also work with the National Institutes of
Health to research how food additives impact children.
“For the last 50 years, we have been running one of the
largest uncontrolled scientific experiments in the world on our nation’s
children, without their consent,” Makary said at a Tuesday press conference,
flanked by children holding signs that read ‘Make America Healthy Again’ and
‘Better Food, Brighter Futures’.
“And today we’re removing these petroleum-based chemicals
from their food supply,” Makary added.
The dyes are commonly found in candy, sodas, cereals, sports
drinks and other highly processed foods, but also show up in unexpected items like casserole mixes, yogurts and
salad dressings. The dyes are linked to health problems including hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children.
Health advocates have long argued that the bright food colorings also make
unhealthy foods more attractive to children.
This is “not a silver bullet that will make American children healthy, but is one important step,” Makary said.
The announcement makes good on one of Kennedy’s campaign
promises and continues the recent state and national trend of targeting
synthetic dyes in food. It’s also a significant change from the FDA’s previous
stance on food dyes – the agency has maintained that most children experience no
health effects from consuming such chemicals in popular foods.
“We are happy children won’t be as exposed and that adverse
neurobehavioral impacts will be reduced,” said Jensen Jose, regulatory counsel
for Center for Science in the Public Interest, which for years has advocated
for removing synthetic dyes from children’s food.
Jose pointed out that the FDA has had evidence that these
dyes aren’t safe for decades, referring to a 2021 California state report that linked some food
dyes to children’s behavioral issues, including risk for Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
“We just hope that this doesn’t stop there… and [the FDA]
continues to follow science and address chemicals when they’re not safe,” he
added.
Christopher Gindlesperger, Senior Vice President of Public
Affairs and Communications for the National Confectioners Association, said in
a statement that the “FDA and regulatory bodies around the world have deemed
our products and ingredients safe, and we look forward to working with the
Trump Administration and Congress on this issue.”
“We are in firm agreement that science-based evaluation of
food additives will help eliminate consumer confusion and rebuild trust in our
national food safety system,” Gindlesperger added.
Kennedy said the food industry voluntarily agreed to work
with the agencies and “showed a lot of leadership on this.” But he also took
the industry to task, blaming them for suppressing science and profiting off
Americans’ illnesses.
“If [the food industry] wants to eat petroleum they ought to
add it themselves at home, but they shouldn’t be feeding it to the rest of us
without our knowledge or consent,” he said.
The announcement comes just months after the US Food and Drug Administration under the Biden administration
banned the use of Red Dye No. 3, a chemical that makes sweets and
other foods cherry-red colored, from both food and pharmaceuticals. Food and
pharmaceutical manufacturers currently have until January 15, 2027, and January
18, 2028, respectively, to remove the dyes from products – although the FDA and
HHS said in today’s announcement, they will push companies to make these changes
sooner. The FDA’s move to ban Red Dye 3 was in response to a 2022 petition from scientists and public health
organizations pointing to the chemical’s cancer-causing effects.
States, too, have joined the food dye fight. West Virginia’s recent ban on synthetic dyes was one of the broadest
efforts, banning a group of red, yellow, blue and green dyes from food starting
January 1, 2028. At least 11 other states are considering similar legislation.
Many credit the “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA,
movement and the attention Kennedy has brought to chemicals in food for the
increased state action.
“For over a decade I have said the FDA is asleep at the
wheel, and now I can stop saying that,” Vani Hari, a food activist and author,
said at the press conference before introducing herself as a “fellow MAHA mom.”
Kennedy also spoke at the press event on a wide range of
issues beyond synthetic dyes, saying “sugar is poison” and industry is
“suppressing science.” He hinted that banning additives in pharmaceuticals
would be a next priority.
“MAHA gets things right sometimes and gets things wrong
sometimes,” Jose said. “We would encourage the FDA to follow the science.”
