RFK Jr’s FDA announces its stripping out ‘toxic soup’ of food dyes from US supply in massive shakeup
FDA Commissioner Dr Marty Makary announced the agency will phase out the use of eight artificial food dyes in America’s food supply within the next two years.
The massive shakeup will free children from the ‘toxic soup’ that makes up much of America’s food supply, Dr Makary said.
Dr Makary, a trained surgeon, began his remarks by calling attention to an oft-cited review in The Lancet, which reported ties between artificial food dyes and hyperactivity in children.
‘So why are we taking a gamble,’ Makary said.
The plan will phase out eight petroleum-based food dyes, including red 40 and blue 1, in favor of safer, natural alternatives while prioritizing public health, particularly for children.
‘To the companies currently using these dyes,’ Makary said, grabbing a small bottle of juice off the podium, ‘try watermelon juice or beet juice.’
The Trump administartion will set a plan for food companies to follow in order to adequately phase out the use of Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 by the end of 2026 and start using natural alternatives, which the FDA will approve or deny first.
The latest proposal also revokes approval for two dyes, citrus red no. 2 and orange b, which are not as common as the other dyes included in Tuesday’s announcement.
The plan also initiates a collaboration with the NIH to research how food dyes impact children’s health and development.
The new timeline follows a recent meeting where he urged food industry executives to eliminate artificial dyes from products before his term ends in 2028.
Dr Makary said: ‘This is not a silver bullet that will immediately make America’s children more healthy,’ but added that the Administration is ‘not interested in going down the same old path while watching America’s children get sicker.’
FDA Commissioner Dr Marty Makary announced the agency will phase out the use of eight artificial food dyes in America’s food supply within the next two years.
The FDA currently allows 36 food color additives, including eight synthetic dyes. In January, the agency announced that the dye known as Red 3 — used in candies, cakes and some medications — would be banned by 2028 because it caused cancer in laboratory rats.
The dyes Kennedy wants to remove are used widely in the U.S. foods. In Canada and in Europe — where artificial colors are required to carry warning labels — manufacturers use natural substitutes.
Some U.S. states, such as California and West Virginia, recently enacted laws that ban artificial colors and other additives from school meals, and in some cases, the broader food supply.
