Artificial food dyes are on their way out. The Food and Drug Administration says it’s taking steps to phase them out by the end of 2026.
It’s not a full ban, but the agency plans to roll out a timeline and new standards to help food manufacturers make the switch to natural alternatives. It also intends to revoke authorization for dyes no longer in production and take action to remove remaining dyes from the market.
So what’s behind the shift and how will it affect what ends up in your pantry? Virginia Tech food safety expert Melissa Wright breaks it down.
What specific artificial dyes are being eliminated and where are they usually found?
“The dyes being looked at are the ones most people know from brightly colored, highly processed foods — think candy, soda, baked goods, cereals, even vitamins,” Wright said.
Here’s what’s being targeted, where you’ll often find it, and what natural options could replace it.
- Blue 1 is found in products like Blue Curaçao liqueur, Cool Blue Gatorade, M&M’s and Baja Blast Mountain Dew. Blue 2 is also found in M&M’s a cereals like Boo Berry.
- Both Blue 1 and Blue 2 could be replaced with extracts from blue-green algae, butterfly pea flowers, or gardenias.
- Green 3 is found in products like lime sherbet and canned vegetables.
- Green 3 could be replaced with a combination of blue and yellow natural dyes.
- Red 40 is found in products like M&M’s, cherry Jell-O, and strawberry Yoo-hoo.
- Red 40 could be replaced with juices and extracts from beets, red cabbage, hibiscus, red grapes, tomatoes, pomegranates, and sweet potatoes or with carmine, from cochineal insects.
- Yellow 5 is found in products like M&M’s, Baja Blast Mountain Dew, Sunny D and Doritos. Yellow 6 is also found in M&M’s as well as Sunny D, Jolly Ranchers, Doritos, and Cheetos.
- Both Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 could be replaced with extracts from annatto, turmeric, paprika, caramel, carrot, pumpkin, or carotene.
- Citrus Red 2 is applied to the rinds of navel oranges and Orange B is found in the casings of hot dogs and sausages to make them more visually appealing.
- It is likely that neither would be replaced with a naturally-derived alternative.
What is prompting this move now?
“This change is really the result of a few things,” Wright said. “There is growing research that links synthetic food dyes to hyperactivity in children. Red 3 was recently banned after studies linked it to cancer in lab rats. And there’s a general push from some political groups to clean up food in the U.S.”
What challenges will food manufacturers face in reformulating products without these dyes?
“One of the biggest issues will be cost and whether that gets passed onto the consumer,” Wright said. “Natural dyes tend to be more expensive and can be harder to work with. They don’t always hold up well to heat or acidity, so things like sodas and baked goods are trickier. Also, customers purchase what they are familiar with. If a product doesn’t look the way people are used to, it might not sell as well.”
Are there natural alternatives to these dyes and are they as effective or safe?
“Naturally sourced alternatives are available. There is not a large body of research on their safety when used specifically as color additives,” she said. “However, I think we all assume that if they are sourced from plants or animals, they are inherently safer. Alternative color additives are not as bright and they are less stable in food processing conditions, so they may be less effective from a marketing standpoint.”
Have other countries already taken similar steps and how does the U.S. compare globally on this issue?
“The European Union and Canada have both transitioned to using more naturally sourced color additives,” Wright said. “In fact, if a product still contains a certified color — the synthetic ones mentioned above — the label must include a warning statement about potential health effects. That is not the case in the U.S., at least not yet”
About Wright
Melissa Wright is the director of the Food Producer Technical Assistant Network at Virginia Tech, which supports the food entrepreneur by assisting with starting a food business, nutrition label content, food safety analysis, and pertinent food regulations. The program’s goal is to help Virginia’s food-processing industry produce high-quality, safe, and innovative food products. As part of the Virginia Cooperative Extension network in the Department of Food Science and Technology under the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the program provides affordable and valuable assistance to help food entrepreneurs and businesses bring their products to market.