U.S. Food Supply to Phase Out Eight Artificial Dyes – One America News Network
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
6:15 PM – Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary have unveiled a new initiative to outlaw the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the American food supply.
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“Today, the FDA is taking decisive steps to eliminate petroleum-based food dyes,” Makary announced at the start of the press conference.
“For the past 50 years, American children have increasingly been exposed to a toxic mix of synthetic chemicals,” he noted. “The scientific community has conducted numerous studies highlighting concerns about the link between petroleum-based synthetic dyes and a number of health issues, including ADHD, obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, cancer, genomic disruption, and gastrointestinal problems.”
Makary laid out a series of actions that will be implemented and emphasized: “From my experience as a doctor caring for children, it is essential to listen to parents.”
Dr. Mark Hyman, a wellness advocate and founder of Function Health, also expressed his support for the announcement.
“Parents shouldn’t have to wonder if the food they provide for their children contains substances banned in Europe but permitted here,” Hyman remarked.
“No physician should have to witness their patients suffering from chronic illnesses associated with ultra-processed foods and feel powerless to rectify the situation because our food policies lag behind the science.”
Kennedy then addressed the audience and recognized supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.
“I want to acknowledge the food companies for collaborating with us to reach this agreement,” he stated.
“During my recent meetings with food companies, I mentioned to my team that if they want to consume petroleum, they should do so at home rather than feeding it to the rest of us.”
“In four years, most of these products will be off the shelves, or you will be aware of their presence when shopping,” he predicted.
Fox News Digital asked Kennedy Jr. during the Q&A session how consumers would be able to identify products that adhere to the phase-out of petroleum-based dyes.
“We are considering labeling. We will need to approach Congress for that — but one action we will take is to make available all information regarding additives on an open-source platform,” he explained. “Additionally, we will encourage companies to develop apps that allow parents to scan barcodes of products in grocery stores to understand their contents.”
As highlighted in the National Library of Medicine’s article, “The artificial food dye blues,” these dyes are commonly found in breakfast cereals, sweets, snacks, beverages, vitamins, and many other products aimed at children.
Petroleum-based synthetic dyes are utilized to enhance the color of food and pharmaceutical items.
“Per capita consumption of food dyes in the U.S. has surged fivefold since 1955, with three dyes — Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 — accounting for 90% of all food dyes utilized,” the article affirmed.
The FDA indicated that there are currently nine petroleum-based chemical dyes permitted in U.S. food and a total of 36 color additives that have received approval.
In their press release on Tuesday, the HHS laid out several steps to be taken, including “establishing a national standard and timeline for the food industry to transition from petrochemical-based dyes to natural substitutes; initiating the process to revoke approval for two synthetic food colorings — Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B — in the upcoming months; and collaborating with the industry to phase out 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.”
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