Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved three new color additives made from flowers, algae and other natural sources, expanding options for the food industry to move away from artificial dyes amid increased regulatory pressure.
- The FDA granted petitions for two blue colors, one made from algae-based galdieria extract and another produced from butterfly pea flower. It also approved calcium phosphate, a white color used in sugar for coated candies.
- The FDA and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has asked the food industry to voluntarily phase out petroleum-based artificial dyes before the end of 2026.
Dive Insight:
Artificial colors have become one of the main targets of the “Make America Healthy Again,” a campaign that in part looks to crack down on ultraprocessed foods and their main ingredients.
“For too long, our food system has relied on synthetic, petroleum-based dyes that offer no nutritional value and pose unnecessary health risks,” Kennedy said in a statement. “We’re removing these dyes and approving safe, natural alternatives—to protect families and support healthier choices.”
Critics say artificial food dyes can contribute to behavioral problems in children and can also increase the likelihood of cancer. While FDA is not banning artificial dyes, a number of states have passed or are considering an outright prohibition on petroleum-based colors as the MAHA campaign goes mainstream.
Kennedy has suggested that moving from artificial dyes to natural sources is a simple swap. In an April press conference, he suggested that companies “try watermelon juice” instead of petroleum-based red dye. However, the reality is more complex, according to those in the food industry.
Product reformulation is a difficult and lengthy process, and requires time for companies to transition their supply chains and ensure quality control measures, according to the International Association of Color Manufacturers. More pressing is the fact that there would be a severe shortage of agricultural products needed to transition the entire food industry to natural colors before the end of 2026.
“The aggressive voluntary timeline posed by the FDA to phase out [synthetic] colors, which are safe, highly regulated food ingredients, would be highly disruptive, disregarding the need to transition supply chains, shore up agricultural resources, and transform manufacturing infrastructure,” the association said in a statement last month.
Still, a number of large food manufacturers, including PepsiCo and Tyson, have committed to hasten the transition to natural dyes and colors in the wake of FDA pressure. Ingredient and flavorings company McCormick is also seeing “a tick-up in reformulation activity” among restaurants and food manufacturers as efforts to ban synthetic dyes in food gain momentum.
The FDA approval allows galdieria extract blue to be used in nonalcoholic beverages, cereal and a variety of desserts and candies. Butterfly pea flower extract, which is already approved for use in yogurt and a number of beverages, can now be used in ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, and snacks such as hard pretzels and potato chips.
