RFK Jr., FDA unveil 8 harmful dyes that will soon be phased out of US food supply heres what could be next

The dye is cast.Eight harmful petroleum-based synthetic dyes will soon be phased out of the American food supply, according to plans unveiled Tuesday by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr.and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr.

Marty Makary.Over the coming months, the FDA will revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings — Citrus Red No.2 and Orange B — and collaborate with the food industry to remove six other synthetic dyes.“For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals,” Makary declared during the announcement at HHS Tuesday.The other six synthetic dyes that will get phased out over time include Green No.

3, Red No.40, Yellow No.

5, Yellow No.6, Blue No.

1 and Blue No.2 — which can be found in foods such as Pop-Tarts, hot dog casings, Takis and Mountain Dew.

As part of the reform measures, health officials at the FDA and HHS plan to set up a timeline with food companies to push the industry away from petrochemical-based dyes and toward natural alternatives.To boost that transition, the FDA plans to authorize four natural color alternatives within the next few weeks and accelerate the review of others.“If they want to add petroleum, [if] they want to eat petroleum, they ought to add it themselves at home, but they shouldn’t be feeding it to the rest of us without our knowledge or consent,” Kennedy said.Health officials also plan to pressure food companies to eliminate Red No.3 faster than the prior deadline of 2027-2028.

Red No.3, which was approved in 1907 and is found in candy, cakes and cupcakes and frostings, has been linked to cancer and behavioral issues, according to the FDA.The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to research the adverse effects of food additives on children’s health.Makary pointed to studies such as one by The Lancet that raised concerns about the “correlation” between petroleum-based synthetic dyes...