The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a proposal to ban the use of the petroleum-based food dye Orange B. United States FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are spearheading this effort. The sole purpose of these bills is to address the growing alarm over the harmful effects artificial food dyes have on children’s health. That proposal will be subject to limited public comment before going into effect within 45 days.
The removal of petroleum-based dyes comes as a response to growing research directly connecting these additives to possible health hazards that would affect children. We agree with Makary and Kennedy Jr. that we should do everything possible to ensure that food products are safe for our youngest consumers.
Sarah Sorscher, a representative from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, remarked on the current state of the industry, stating that manufacturers are “currently willing to take mandatory steps only where it has no impact.” This shows a reluctance on the part of food producers to remove harmful ingredients proactively without the threat of regulation requiring them to do so.
The FDA’s attention shouldn’t stop there. Orange B does less than enough. They’re looking into four other artificial food dyes: Red No. 3, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 5, and Yellow No. 40. Now, these dyes are raising alarms, similar to those raised over Orange B. Americans are especially concerned about their use in products that children eat.
Ironically, Red No. 2 is not used much today at all. You can find it elsewhere in smaller quantities, particularly in the peels of some citrus fruits. FDA officials pointed out that since 1978, no batches of Red No. 2 have been certified safe. This would indicate almost a 90% drop in its utilization.
The move to ban Orange B is part of a broader effort to reduce artificial food dyes in the food supply. That’s why the last Trump administration put big food manufacturers under heavy pressure. In response, they phased out artificial dyes from many of their products, including cereals, yogurt, and sodas.
This latest proposal—from months of deliberations internally at the FDA on food safety, child health, etc. While some experts argue that “the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives,” others remain concerned about any potential risks associated with these substances.
