by Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D. at the Defender
During a press conference late this afternoon, Dr. Marty Makary, head of the FDA, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. outlined six steps the FDA is taking to phase out the dyes, which have been linked to neurobehavioral issues in children.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today said it will phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from U.S. foods and medications.
In a press conference late this afternoon, Dr. Marty Makary, head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. outlined six steps the FDA is taking to phase out the dyes:
- Establishing a national standard and timeline for the food industry to transition from petrochemical-based dyes to natural alternatives.
- Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings — Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B — within the coming months.
- Working with industry to eliminate six remaining 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 — from the food supply by the end of next year.
- Authorizing four new natural color additives in the coming weeks, while also accelerating the review and approval of others.
- Partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct comprehensive research on how food additives impact children’s health and development.
- Requesting food companies to remove FD&C Red No. 3 sooner than the 2027-2028 deadline previously required.
“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 in a press release.
At today’s event,…
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