RFK Jr. plans to cut artificial dyes from US food supply

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration plan on ordering manufacturers to cut potentially harmful artificial dyes used in hundreds of food products, federal officials said Monday.

Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration will announce the phase out of petroleum-based synthetic dyes Tuesday in a “major step forward in the Administration’s effort to Make America Healthy,” the agencies said.

The shakeup comes after a commonly used dye known as Red 3 was banned from the nation’s food supply in January under the Biden administration because the FDA said studies found it caused cancer in lab rats. The prohibition is expected to begin in 2027.

Kennedy applauded the ban around the time it was announced and vowed to zero in on the eight additional food dyes still allowed in colorful cereal, drinks and candies.

“I was called a conspiracy theorist because I said that red dye caused cancer,” Kennedy, 71, said during his confirmation hearing. “Now, FDA has acknowledged that and banned it.”

Kennedy also told top executives at large food manufacturing companies in March that he would focus on getting rid of artificial dyes from foods, the New York Times reported last month.

Some studies indicate artificial colors could be linked to behavior problems in some children, including hyperactivity and impulsivity, especially for kids at risk for attention deficit disorder.  

While the food dyes on the chopping block are widely used across the United States, the European Union and other countries such as Australia and Japan, have prohibited or restricted the use of certain food dyes, citing health concerns.

States from ruby-red West Virginia to liberal California have also taken action against artificial food dyes with the Mountain State banning seven dyes last month.

The changes haven’t come without pushback.

The National Confectioners Association, which represents candy and gum sellers, have argued the new rules would hike up grocery prices while thinning out selection at supermarkets.

The vice president of food safety and quality assurance at Sysco Corp., the world’s largest food service distributor, argued policies need to be backed by science and “be consistently applied across all geographies.” 

“We shouldn’t have a fragmented approach when it comes to food safety, because it breeds a lack of trust and confidence with consumers,” Charles Leftwich told the Associated Press in March.

With Post wires