FDA Will Phase Out Petroleum-Based Food Dyes

Topline

The Food and Drug Administration and Department of Health and Human Services announced moves Tuesday to phase out “all petroleum-based synthetic dyes” from the food supply in the United States, a move that will likely impact major American food and drink companies.

Food aisles at the Boyer’s Food Markets grocery store in Womelsdorf Thursday afternoon April 8, … More 2021.

MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Key Facts

Petroleum-based dyes will be phased out by the end of 2026, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said at a press conference to announce the plan Tuesday.

The FDA said it will work with industry to eliminate six synthetic dyes: 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.

Many companies—including General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft and PepsiCo—producing processed foods regularly use these dyes to “offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions,” according to the FDA.

The FDA said it is also asking food companies to stop using FD&C Red No. 3—which was banned earlier this year under former President Joe Biden—earlier than its previous deadline of 2027, according to a press release.

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Crucial Quote

“If they want to add petroleum, they want to eat petroleum, they ought to add it themselves at home,” Kennedy said at Tuesday’s press conference. “They shouldn’t be feeding it to the rest of us, and without our knowledge or consent.”

Did Food Companies Agree To The Fda’s Plan?

When asked if there was a “formal agreement” for food companies to follow the FDA’s guidelines, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said there is not, but they “have an understanding.” Kennedy met with a number of major food and drink company CEOs in March, CNBC reported, and made clear his intent to remove dyes from their products. Makary continued, saying the FDA wants to “see if we can do this without any statutory or regulatory changes” and avoid “a complicated road with Congress” because the companies “want to do it.”

How Will Companies Show They’re Removing Dyes?

Kennedy said officials are looking at having brands label food that doesn’t use the phased out dyes, but they would need to go to Congress for that change. He said in the meantime HHS will “post all the information we have about every additive on an open source website” and he encouraged consumers to use apps that help people understand what’s in their food.

Are Food Dyes Safe?

The FDA states color additives are safe when they’re used in line with regulations. But Kennedy and Makary have said removing petroleum-based dyes will improve children’s health, and Kennedy has suggested they are tied to a number of illnesses. While there are some studies of animals and cells that have linked food dyes to cancer, experts say there is no evidence food dyes cause cancer in humans. The FDA’s website says it has reviewed and is continuing to review the effects of dyes on kids, but “the totality of scientific evidence indicates that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives, but some evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to them.”