8 artificial dyes to be banned in US by end of 2026

Eight artificial food dyes will be phased out of the U.S. food and drug supply by the end of 2026

The announcement came Tuesday from FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty McCary speaking at a press event with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Washington, D.C

These steps that we are taking means that the FDA is effectively removing

all petroleum-based food dyes from the U.S. food supply. McCary says the synthetic dyes are most commonly found in brightly colored fun foods like candy, cereal, snacks and sports drinks

They're asking companies to begin transitioning to natural alternatives like beet juice, carrot juice and watermelon juice

Two dyes not currently in production will be revoked. Citrus red number two and orange B

Six more artificial dyes will be eliminated from the U.S. food supply

Red dye number 40, yellow dyes 5 and 6, blue dyes 1 and 2, and green dye number 3

The agency is also pushing for the early removal of red dye number 3

Banned earlier this year from food and drinks due to potential cancer risks

red 3 is currently set to be phased out of foods by 2027 and medications by 2028

McCary says the FDA will work to eliminate it even sooner. To support the transition, the FDA will authorize four new natural color additives in the coming weeks

and is accelerating the review of others. McCary cited multiple health concerns Tuesday, especially for children

41 of children have at least one health condition and one in five are on medication The answer is not more Ozempic more ADHD medication and more antidepressants While this ban isn a cure all

he says it is an important step in addressing the childhood health crisis. This comes as the Texas

Attorney General investigates Kellogg for continuing to use artificial dyes in its U.S

cereals, even though the same dyes have been removed from products sold in Canada and Europe

A 2022 meta-ysis published in Environmental Health found a link between synthetic dyes and

hyperactivity in children. And a 2021 report from the California EPA found over half of 25 studies

reviewed showed a connection between artificial dyes and behavioral issues. McCary emphasized that

switching to natural dyes won't raise food prices, pointing to other countries that have already made

that transition. However, multiple sources within the food industry maintain that to natural food coloring would

to higher prices, possibly disrupting certain supply chains while manufacturers retooled to

federal regulation. We're going to start informing Americans about what they're eating. We're going

to try to work with Congress and the White House to make

sure that we have adequate labeling. McCary called the decades long use of synthetic dyes, quote

quote, one of the largest uncontrolled scientific experiments on children. He described the FDA's move as a step toward restoring public trust in food safety regulations

With Straight Arrow News, I'm Kennedy Felton. Download our app or visit san.com for more