The US government bans several synthetic food dyes

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 04. 23. 09:01

The United States government is banning several widely used synthetic food colorings, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday.

The secretary said that “for too long, some food manufacturers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their consent and without their knowledge.” He added that the ingredients under the ban pose a risk to children’s health and development. He addressed the health problems caused by excessive sugar consumption, emphasizing that a large percentage of children suffer from diabetes, and then called sugar “poison.”

Martin Makary, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, emphasized that manufacturers are being encouraged to return to natural colorings instead of synthetic colors.

The Department of Health and Human Services and its federal Food and Drug Administration are taking immediate action to revoke the approval of two food colorings (Citrus Red No. 2, Orange B) and require six other chemical ingredients to be phased out of the food industry by the end of 2026.

The substances are used in popular soft drinks and sugary breakfast cereals, among other things.