On April 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a plan to phase out petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from the national food supply by the end of 2026, encouraging the industry to move to natural alternatives.
Which dyes are included?
The plan covers the following synthetic dyes:
- Red No. 3 (E127)
- Red No. 40 (E129)
- Blue No. 1 (E133)
- Blue No. 2 (E132)
- Yellow No. 5 (E102, tartrazine)
- Yellow No. 6 (E110)
- Green No. 3 (E143)
- Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B
These dyes are common in breakfast cereals, candy, sports drinks, yogurts and other processed foods.
Why are they being phased out?
The agencies cited concerns raised by studies on synthetic dyes, particularly regarding children, and consumer demand for cleaner labels. The FDA had already revoked the authorization of Red No. 3 in food in January 2025.
Impact on the industry and consumers
The shift requires reformulation work, including adjusting formulations and validating color in each application. Large companies such as PepsiCo have already announced plans to remove artificial colors from their products.
For consumers, this may mean foods with slightly different hues and cleaner ingredient labels.
Natural solutions
The phase-out of synthetic food dyes in the U.S. is a major step toward more transparent food labels, and an opportunity to adopt natural ingredients.
At FARBE NATURALS we develop natural colorants from sources such as turmeric, beetroot, spirulina, huito and more. Our ingredients meet clean-label standards and are formulated to integrate into a wide variety of industrial applications. See our natural colorants.
To discuss your formulation, please contact the FARBE NATURALS team through our contact form.
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