Under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the department is planning to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes in our food supply, it announced Tuesday.
“For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent,” said Kennedy. “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. We’re restoring gold-standard science, applying common sense, and beginning to earn back the public’s trust. And we’re doing it by working with industry to get these toxic dyes out of the foods our families eat every day.”
In its announcement, the HHS outlined eight actions it intends to take to phase the dyes out of circulation in the U.S. First on the list was the establishment of a national standard and timeline for the food industry to transition within.
Some dyes will be phased out sooner than others. Per the department, it will begin the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings – Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B – within the coming months. Citrus Red No. 2 is used for coloring the skins of oranges and Orange B is used for coloring the casings or surfaces of frankfurters and sausages, according to Cornell Law School.
Furthermore, the HHS said that it is planning to eliminate six more remaining synthetic dyes from the food supply by the end of next year. These are: 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, and FD&C Blue No. 2.
Audacy reported last year on a movement to remove the dyes from foods due to cancer fears. We noted that Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, Green Dye No. 3 are used as food coloring in thousands of products, from beverages to cereals such as Fruit Loops.
This January, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced the revocation of authorization for the use of FD&C Red No. 3. Also known as Red No. 3 and erythrosine, that food additive made from petroleum that gives foods a bright, cherry-red color and was authorized for use since at least 1931. It is found in thousands of products. Companies are expected to remove this dye from products sooner than the previous 2027-2028 deadline, the HHS said in its Tuesday announcement.
Along with steps to remove synthetic dyes from the food supply, HHS said there are also plans to authorize four new natural color additives in the coming weeks. A review of calcium phosphate, Galdieria extract blue, gardenia blue, butterfly pea flower extract is being fast-tracked by the FDA and the HHS is also looking to accelerate the review and approval of others.
Other action items related to food dye announced by HHS include partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) “to conduct comprehensive research on how food additives impact children’s health and development,” it said.