Synthetic Food Dye Phaseout and Labeling Rule
Advancing
On April 22, 2025, shortly after taking office, Dr. Marty Makary and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a plan to phase out eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes — Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, Blue 1 and 2, Green 3, Orange B, and Citrus Red 2 — from the U.S. food supply by the end of 2026. The approach relied on voluntary industry pledges rather than formal rulemaking. Makary framed the effort as children’s health protection and called the prior regime “one of the largest uncontrolled scientific experiments in the world on our nation’s children,” citing growing concerns among doctors and parents.
On February 5, 2026, his FDA followed up with a labeling policy allowing products colored with naturally derived colorants to claim “no artificial colors.” A third-party tracker reported that by August 2026, companies including Tyson, Nestlé USA, Target cereals, and In-N-Out had completed reformulations.
The effort was a marquee MAHA-era food-safety win and survived Makary’s May 12, 2026 resignation, since reformulations were already underway. Whether the FDA under acting or future leadership will formalize the voluntary pledges into rules remains an open question.
Timeline
- April 22, 2025: Makary and Secretary Kennedy announce the plan to phase out eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes by end of 2026 via voluntary industry pledges.
- February 5, 2026: FDA issues a labeling policy letting products with naturally derived colorants claim “no artificial colors.”
- May 12, 2026: Makary resigns; the phaseout continues through industry reformulations.
- August 2026: A third-party tracker reports completed reformulations at Tyson, Nestlé USA, Target cereals, In-N-Out, and others.
