By JONEL ALECCIA and MATTHEW PERRONE, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday said they would phase out petroleum-based artificial colors in the nation’s food supply, potentially triggering an ingredients overhaul for scores of brightly hued products on American store shelves.
The federal Food and Drug Administration will take steps to eliminate the synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference. The agency will establish a standard and timeline for industry to switch to natural alternatives, revoke authorization for dyes not in production within coming weeks and take action to remove remaining dyes on the market.
“Today, the FDA is asking food companies to substitute petrochemical dyes with natural ingredients for American children as they already do in Europe and Canada,” Makary said.
The move will boost children’s health, he added: “For the last 50 years we have been running one of the largest uncontrolled scientific experiments in the world on our nation’s children without their consent.”
Makary was joined by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said he had already heard from food manufacturers but had no formal agreements with them.
“We don’t have an agreement, we have an understanding,” Kennedy said.
Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. The FDA has maintained that the approved dyes are safe and that “the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.”
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 in food by 2027 because it…
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