FDA officials are moving forward with plans to eliminate artificial food dyes in the U.S. food supply.
"There's no one ingredient that accounts for the child chronic disease epidemic," FDA commissioner Marty Makary said on Tuesday, while announcing the new regulatory plan. "And let's be honest, taking petroleum-based food dyes out of the food supply is not a silver bullet that will instantly make America's children healthy. But it is one important step. This administration is not interested in continuing down the path of doing the same old things as we watch our nation's children get sicker. We need fresh new approaches."
Makary outlined specific steps regulators would take to achieve their goals:
1. Establish a national standard and timeline to transition the food industry from petroleum-based food dyes to natural alternatives.
2. Initiate a process to revoke authorization of synthetic food coloring in the next weeks.
3. Take steps to eliminate existing synthetic dyes currently on the food market, including Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and 6, Blue No. 1 and 2 and Green No. 3, by the end of next year.
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The FDA is also asking food companies to remove Red dye No. 3 from products earlier than the originally set deadlines, which were announced at the beginning of the year following findings that the dye raised the risk of cancer in rats.
Food producers have been given two years to reformulate their products to avoid Red No. 3, while drugmakers will have until 2028 to reformulate their products.
Makary on Tuesday said the FDA planned to authorize four new natural color additives in the coming weeks, and accelerate review of other natural colors.
