Upon assuming the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has targeted coloring agents in foods, beverages, and medical items, asserting their potential to compromise human health. In the , Kennedy and others address food colorings and highlight data linking some to behavioral problems in children. HHS has already initiated measures to ban certain synthetic food dyes and substitute them with natural alternatives, with plans to introduce additional naturally derived options.
Synthetic dyes are typically petroleum-derived and formulated in laboratories. Their intense and deep hues are often absent in natural environments. (Consider the vivid red of Jell-O—thanks to Red 40—and the neon glow of Mountain Dew, achieved by Yellow 5.)
The transition from artificial food dyes to natural alternatives had commenced well before the MAHA report, propelled by the increasing availability of organic and more “natural” products. In 2016, Kraft artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives from its mac & cheese, and announced its intention to eliminate such dyes from its cereals and other foods supplied to schools this summer, while and committed to ceasing the use of synthetic dyes in their products by 2027.
Since January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four new color additives for foods and prohibited one. It also revealed a strategy to collaborate with food manufacturers for a voluntary phase-out of all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the food supply by the end of 2027. Many states—including California, West Virginia, and Texas—are pledging a similarly swift elimination of synthetic dyes, particularly in foods provided through their school nutrition programs.
However, industry experts suggest that adopting natural colorings introduces a unique set of challenges—and may not consistently be safer for human health. Here’s what you should know about the food colorings soon to appear in your pantry and fridge.
Their “natural” origin doesn’t automatically imply greater safety
The FDA has in place for evaluating both synthetic and natural dyes. Synthetic colorings are strictly regulated, requiring companies to submit samples of each color batch to the FDA for inspection and assurance that the colorings adhere to the stringent safety specifications established by the agency.
Natural colorings, conversely, undergo a self-certifying process where manufacturers bear the responsibility of inspection to affirm their additives comply with specified regulations, explains Paul Manning, chairman and CEO of Sensient Technologies, a prominent U.S. manufacturer of natural food-color additives that also produces synthetic food colorings.
Currently, four natural colorings are approved for use in food: , derived from red algae; , which produces shades ranging from bright blue to deep purple and green; , which provides white for candies and ready-to-eat chicken; and , extracted from the gardenia fruit.
Nevertheless, their natural sources do not inherently guarantee greater safety or freedom from potentially harmful compounds. Natural sources can be treated with pesticides and herbicides, and are also prone to contamination by bacteria and other pathogens, Manning adds. To rid natural products of these contaminants, manufacturers process them with various solvents—some of which might remain in the final coloring and contribute to negative health effects, Manning states.
Another potential drawback: achieving the same shade in a final food generally requires more natural color than synthetic color. “Typically it takes eight parts of a natural color to achieve the same color outcome in a finished food product,” says Manning.
Enhancing the safety of natural coloring
To better grasp the prevalence of such contaminants in natural colorings, Sensient conducted tests on raw-material products from growers and discovered “alarmingly high failure rates” of unsafe amounts of solvents and pesticides, Manning reveals. “When we informed them that their products didn’t meet specifications set by U.S. law and that we wouldn’t accept them, more often than not, we heard that they would simply sell to somebody else.”
In an effort to differentiate its standards for natural food colorings, Sensient developed , a certification program it employs to evaluate the raw materials sourced for natural food dyes. A Certasure certification indicates that natural coloring has been inspected and successfully passed tests to be deemed safe for human health.
Difficulties in moving away from synthetic dyes
“If everyone in the U.S. wished to convert to natural colors tomorrow, it couldn’t be accomplished with the existing supply chain,” says Manning. He notes that roughly 60% of the company’s food-coloring products are currently natural, with 40% being synthetic.
Manufacturing presents challenges. “Supply needs time to align with demand,” he explains. This is because the plants and crops that yield naturally derived dyes not only require time to grow but also demand careful planning to secure farmers skilled in cultivating them in sufficient quantities. Manning estimates it generally takes about five years to scale up a new source of natural coloring.
Part of this expansion relates to the fact that very few of the natural color additives recently approved in the U.S. are grown domestically, necessitating the global recruitment of land, resources, and farmers to meet the anticipated higher demand.
Sensient, for example, produces the blue-hued butterfly pea flower extract , which thrives in Southeast Asia. Manning suggests that recently increased tariffs on overseas products, combined with continued global growth in demand for natural food colorings, could place an even greater burden on companies transitioning from synthetic to natural dyes. (Approximately 80% of Europe’s food market, for instance, relies on natural colorings.)
Matching the color achieved by synthetic dyes is also challenging. Manning states that his clients have reported sales declines when the intensity of the natural dye falls short. People even perceive different tastes with naturally dyed food, even though the coloring itself should not impact taste. “The challenge will not solely revolve around the supply chain, nor solely about quality control, but about discovering technical solutions to replicate the appearance of synthetic colors,” he says.
