Fact Check: Is food coloring bad for you and your family?

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Brightly colored candies, cereals, chips, and sodas might soon look a lot less vibrant, if U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets his way. Kennedy is leading a push to phase out synthetic food dyes from the American food supply, citing growing concerns about health risks.

What’s the Issue With Artificial Dyes?

Synthetic dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1 are found in many everyday products—from cereal boxes to soda cans. But while they’re commonplace in the U.S., they’re banned or restricted in Europe due to health concerns.

A 2021 report from the California Environmental Protection Agency, summarized by Berkeley Public Health, found that artificial food dyes are linked to neurobehavioral issues like hyperactivity in children. Other studies suggest some dyes may even carry cancer risks in animals.

Why Are These Dyes Still Allowed in the U.S.?

The answer lies in how food is regulated. The U.S. takes a very different approach from Europe when it comes to food additives.

According to the Institute of Food Technologists, the FDA only directly reviewed about 40% of the roughly 6,000 food additive safety decisions made over a two-decade span. The remaining 60% were approved by manufacturers or industry groups using a loophole called “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS)—meaning they didn’t require formal FDA evaluation.

In contrast, the European Union has stricter standards, only allowing about 411 food additives, compared to the estimated 10,000 permitted in the U.S.

Brightly colored candies, cereals, chips, and sodas might soon look a lot less vibrant, if U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets his way. (TNND)

How Is the Food Industry Responding?

Not surprisingly, food manufacturers are pushing back.

A memo from the Consumer Brands Association, obtained by Food Safety News, warns that removing synthetic dyes could drive up production costs, reduce consumer appeal, and limit food accessibility. The National Confectioners Association also argues that the changes would make food “significantly more expensive and less accessible.”

In fact, experts told MarketWatch that switching to natural color alternatives could increase manufacturing costs by up to 10%.

Is Anything Already Happening?

Yes. The FDA has already taken initial steps.

In January, the FDA announced it will ban Red Dye No. 3 from food products starting in 2027, after banning it in cosmetics back in 1990 due to cancer concerns.

States like California have already passed laws banning certain dyes from being used in school meals.

Most recently, the FDA Commissioner, Marty Makary, confirmed that the agency will work with industry leaders to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the U.S., though that process is expected to take time. According to Makary:

The FDA is asking food companies to substitute petrochemical dyes with natural ingredients for American children as they already do in Europe and Canada.