U.S. will phase out synthetic food dyes

Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B, will soon have their approvals revoked

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

April 23, 2025

Key Takeaways:

• The FDA is launching a comprehensive plan to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic food dyes and replace them with natural alternatives.

• Two dyes, Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B, will soon have their approvals revoked, while six others will be phased out by the end of next year.

• The initiative is part of the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, with a strong focus on protecting children’s health and restoring public trust in food safety.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration have announced a plan to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food products. The action is part of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s Make America Healthy Again campaign.

The FDA said it will begin by establishing a national transition framework, setting clear standards and deadlines for food manufacturers to replace synthetic dyes with natural colorants.

Two dyesCitrus Red No. 2 and Orange Bare first on the chopping block, with authorization revocations expected within months. Meanwhile, six additional synthetic dyes, including FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, and FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, are slated for removal from the food supply by the end of 2026

At the same time, the FDA is expediting the approval of four natural alternatives and reviewing several others, such as calcium phosphate, Galdieria extract blue, and butterfly pea flower extract, offering manufacturers a wider range of safe, natural coloring options.

The objective

Kennedy has long been a critic of synthetic food dyes, noting that they are banned in many other countries, including Canada.

These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our childrens health and development, Kennedy said in a statement. Were restoring gold-standard science, applying common sense, and beginning to earn back the publics trust.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary echoed these concerns, linking synthetic dyes to rising childhood health issues such as obesity, diabetes, depression, and ADHD. Today, the FDA is asking food companies to substitute petrochemical dyes with natural ingredients for American children as they already do in Europe and Canada, Makary said.

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