Your food and candy will look very different in the next two years. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration announced that eight artificial food dyes and colorings will be phased out from America’s food supply by the end of next year.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the agencies will work with food companies to remove the eight artificial dyes found in medications, candy, ice cream, soft drinks, and other products.
“I just want to urge all of you, it’s not the time to stop; it’s the time to redouble your efforts, because we have them on the run now, and we are going to win this battle,” Kennedy told a crowd of “Make America Healthy Again” supporters during an April 22 news conference. “And four years from now, we’re going to have most of these products off the market, or you will know about them when you go to the grocery store.”
According to the Food and Drug Administration, these dyes are used to offset color loss due to exposure to light and extreme temperatures. Officials revealed during a news conference on April 22 that they are also used to add color to “colorless” and “fun foods. “
What Eight Artificial Dyes Will Be Removed
Under the Biden administration, the FDA has already mandated a ban on Red Dye No. 3 found in candy, desserts, and some medications by 2028 and from food by 2027 because it was shown to cause cancer in rats. The FDA announced on Tuesday that it will request that food companies expedite the removal deadline.
Federal officials are taking steps to pull the authorization of Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B within the coming months. The other six dyes the FDA and HHS seek to eliminate by the end of 2026 include Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2.
The FDA will soon authorize four new natural color additives and partner with the National Institutes of Health to research “how food additives impact children’s health and development.”
Kennedy, who is not a doctor and has no medical background or training, has linked food dyes and additives to ADHD and chronic diseases such as obesity, USA Today reports.
While most people are aware of Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40 is linked to neurological disorders. It has already been banned from being sold in public schools in California.
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