[Colorful Candies Sweets, Photo credit to Pixabay]

On April 22nd 2025, the US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and the US Food and Drug Association (FDA) announced plans to completely phase out artificial dyes used in processed foods by 2026 in the United States.

The United States is famous for its vibrant candies and sweet treats that children enjoy everyday, such as Skittles, M & Ms, and many others. 

However, these vibrant colors come from artificial food dyes.

Artificial food dyes are synthetic chemicals used in processed foods to enhance their color.

Historically, they have been used worldwide in foods and products such as candy, jelly, cereal, and even medical products. 

The main objective of these dyes is to elevate the attractiveness of food products to attract more customers.

“They’re there for cosmetic reasons. They have no actual function in the cereal other than to make it attractive,” Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University said in a recent CNN10 interview. 

“And there’s research that shows that people like brightly colored foods…. When companies take dyes out of cereals and put in natural dyes instead, people don’t buy them.” 

Another major concern is that these chemicals are derived from petroleum, the same fossil fuel used to power cars. 

Food industry representatives have previously defended these dyes, saying “the ingredients used in America's food supply have been rigorously studied following an objective science- and risk-based evaluation and have been demonstrated to be safe."

However, recent research on animals has shown a potential connection between these dyes and certain types of cancer and tumors, as well as learning disorders in children.

This raised huge concerns about the safety of children who consume these foods regularly.

Even though further research is needed, the FDA determined action was necessary.

FDA commissioner Marty Makary stated that phasing out these artificial dyes was not a "silver bullet" but "one important step" toward improving children's health in the United States.

"For the last 50 years, American children have been increasingly living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals."

The FDA has identified eight specific artificial food dyes for elimination: FD&C Green No 3; FD&C Red No 40; FD&C Yellow No 5; FD&C Yellow No 6; FD&C Blue No 1; FD&C Blue No 2; Red No 2 and Orange BC.

The FDA plans to first phase out Red No.2 and Orange BC, which are used to create green and red colors, in the upcoming months, then move on to addressing the other six dyes.

To remove these products and avoid lengthy legal processes, the FDA has decided to work with food processing companies to transition from artificial dyes to natural alternatives, instead of enforcing strict punishments and laws.

If this plan is successful, the future of American food products may look very different from what consumers are used to.

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta discussed the country's future in a recent interview.

“They make these same products without those petroleum based dyes. They use natural food coloring, so watermelon juice, carrot juice, blueberry juice, to create some of that coloring. May not be as vibrant, may not be as stable, but that’s what they do. That is what we’re gonna see in the US. Phasing out and eventually eliminating eight of these dyes in the months and years to come.”

American citizens are now watching closely to see how this initiative progresses, hoping that this phase out will bring healthier products to children and lessen health-related concerns in the country.