An artificial food dye ban was announced Tuesday, April 22, phasing out eight synthetic dyes from foods and medications.
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Eight artificial food dyes will be phased out of the U.S. food and drug supply by the end of 2026
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The announcement came Tuesday from FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty McCary speaking at a press event with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Washington, D.C
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These steps that we are taking means that the FDA is effectively removing
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all petroleum-based food dyes from the U.S. food supply. McCary says the synthetic dyes are most commonly found in brightly colored fun foods like candy, cereal, snacks and sports drinks
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They're asking companies to begin transitioning to natural alternatives like beet juice, carrot juice and watermelon juice
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Two dyes not currently in production will be revoked. Citrus red number two and orange B
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Six more artificial dyes will be eliminated from the U.S. food supply
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Red dye number 40, yellow dyes 5 and 6, blue dyes 1 and 2, and green dye number 3
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The agency is also pushing for the early removal of red dye number 3
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Banned earlier this year from food and drinks due to potential cancer risks
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red 3 is currently set to be phased out of foods by 2027 and medications by 2028
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McCary says the FDA will work to eliminate it even sooner. To support the transition, the FDA will authorize four new natural color additives in the coming weeks
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and is accelerating the review of others. McCary cited multiple health concerns Tuesday, especially for children
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41 of children have at least one health condition and one in five are on medication The answer is not more Ozempic more ADHD medication and more antidepressants While this ban isn a cure all
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he says it is an important step in addressing the childhood health crisis. This comes as the Texas
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Attorney General investigates Kellogg for continuing to use artificial dyes in its U.S
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cereals, even though the same dyes have been removed from products sold in Canada and Europe
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A 2022 meta-ysis published in Environmental Health found a link between synthetic dyes and
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hyperactivity in children. And a 2021 report from the California EPA found over half of 25 studies
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reviewed showed a connection between artificial dyes and behavioral issues. McCary emphasized that
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switching to natural dyes won't raise food prices, pointing to other countries that have already made
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that transition. However, multiple sources within the food industry maintain that to natural food coloring would
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to higher prices, possibly disrupting certain supply chains while manufacturers retooled to
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federal regulation. We're going to start informing Americans about what they're eating. We're going
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to try to work with Congress and the White House to make
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sure that we have adequate labeling. McCary called the decades long use of synthetic dyes, quote
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quote, one of the largest uncontrolled scientific experiments on children. He described the FDA's move as a step toward restoring public trust in food safety regulations
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With Straight Arrow News, I'm Kennedy Felton. Download our app or visit san.com for more
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