The FDA announces the food dye ban

The fluorescent red of the Hot Hot Cheetos, the bright bluish green of Mountain Dew Baja Blast and the colorful rainbow of Skittles soon were attenuated.

Food and medication administration is eliminating the use of oil -based synthetic dyes for the end of next year, the agency announced on Tuesday.

“During the last 50 years, American children have been living more and more in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, at a press conference.

Food and drink companies use additives such as Red Dye 40 to give cereals, fries, sports drinks and other products that attract buyers. But the reaction against artificial dyes has been brewing in the United States for more than a decade.

Changes will affect a series of food giants, including Pepsic, General millsMars and WK Kellogg. The industry has argued that statements about the dangers of artificial dyes lack evidence that supports any prohibition.

Until Tuesday, the FDA and the food industry do not have a formal agreement to eliminate artificial dyes, but instead “an understanding”, according to Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., it is not clear what application actions would take the agency if food and drink companies do not comply.

“There are a number of tools at our disposal,” Makary said. “I believe in love, let's start friendly and see if we can do this without legal or regulatory changes, but we are exploring all the tools in the toolbox to make sure that this is done very fast. And they want to do it, so why follow a complicated path with Congress?”

The FDA is taking several actions, including the establishment of a “national standard” and a timeline for the food industry to transition from oil -based food dyes to natural alternatives, according to Makary. The agency is also initiating a process to revoke the authorization of synthetic food dyes, including those that are not in production, in the coming weeks.

He added that the FDA is also eliminating the remaining six synthetic dyes in the US food supply market. UU. By the end of the year, specifically the red dye 40, the yellow dye 5, the yellow dye 6, the blue dye 1, the blue dye 2 and the green dye 2. It also asks the food companies that eliminate the red color at the end of the following year, which is soon 2028 term.

“For companies that currently use red oil based on oil, try watermelon juice or beet juice. For companies that currently combine chemical and red dyes based on oil, try carrot juice,” he said.

Makary added that the agency plans to authorize four additional color additives using natural ingredients in the coming weeks, while accelerating the review and approval of other natural ingredients colors.

Makary cited a lancet study that concluded that artificial colors in the diet “result in greater hyperactivity.”

“F in the FDA means food,” he said. “Now, there is no ingredient that explains the epidemic of chronic children's diseases. And let's be honest, take food dyes based on food supply is not a silver bullet that will make children in the United States healthy, but it is an important step.”

Last month, Kennedy told the best food executives that eliminating artificial dyes from the food system is an urgent priority of the Trump administration. Meetings attendees included the CEO of Pepsico North America, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Tyson Foods, WK Kellogg, JM Smucker and the Association of Consumer Brands, the main commercial group of the industry.

Kennedy has used Kellogg Froot loops as their main example by criticizing artificial dyes.

While it is not clear exactly how to eliminate dyes could affect business businesses, it will be a great effort to review recipes, and the new aspect could affect the way consumers perceive products.

Makary said that eliminating oil -based food dyes will not increase food prices, pointing to other countries that have made similar movements. However, synthetic dyes are generally more profitable than natural alternatives, which often require greater amounts to achieve vibrant colors and can transport higher production costs, according to some reports and a natural ingredient manufacturer.

Previously, the recoil of consumer defenders led some of the companies to modify their formulas and release artificial dyes without any government intervention. In 2015, Kraft Heinz He changed the recipe for his registered brand of macaroni with cheese to use the same natural colors found in the European version of the product.

But the changes do not always stay. In 2017, General Mills reversed the course, re -placing his artificial colored Trix cereal on the shelves. The naturally dyed cereal, which used turmeric, radish and purple carrots, was not so vibrant, and customers rejected the new version.

Kennedy is in charge of an agency of $ 1.7 billion that supervises food and tobacco products, vaccines and other medications, scientific research, public health infrastructure and medical care financed by the government. After only two months at work, it has drastically changed the federal health agencies of the Nation.

In March, he announced plans to cut 10,000 full -time employees in different departments and consolidate divisions. It has reduced the crucial parts of HHS, including offices that handle HIV prevention efforts and work to eliminate medical care disparities. Food and medication administration is also suspending a quality control program to test liquid milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity in its food safety and nutrition division, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The alleged Kennedy Make America Healthy Again platform argues a corrupt alliance of food and food companies and federal health agencies that regulate them are causing Americans to be less healthy. He has pledged to end the epidemic of chronic diseases in children and adults, and has talked about making nutritious foods, instead of drugs, fundamental for that goal.

In January, before President Donald Trump or Kennedy assumed the position, the Food and Medicines Administration revoked its authorization of a type of red dye called Network No. 3. It is known that the dye causes cancer in laboratory animals, but food manufacturers were allowed to use it for years because scientists did not believe the risk of human cancer at the level at the level that is typically consumed.

At least one company is benefiting from the prohibition of artificial dyes: McCormickthat helps companies modify their flavors and formulas.

“Now, the reformulation activity has always been part of the work we do with our customer base, and we have been doing it for quite some time, but we are seeing a brand in the reformulation activity,” McCormick CEO said, Brendan Foley, to the analysts of the company's analysts at the end of March, and added that the companies seek help both artificial colors and sodium of their products.