RFK Jr. Announced a Phase-Out of ‘Poisonous’ Food Dyes. Critics Say the Plan Lacks Teeth

The Trump administration announced a major food safety initiative this week: a plan to phase out eight petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply. The policy, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Food and Drug Administration, marks a dramatic escalation in federal attention to artificial additives that health advocates say may pose risks to children’s health.

At a news conference, Kennedy described the plan as part of the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, calling synthetic dyes “poisonous compounds” that offer no nutritional value. “That era is coming to an end,” he said.

The FDA says it will revoke authorization for two dyes — Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B — in the coming months, and work with manufacturers to eliminate six additional dyes by the end of 2026. These include Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3. Red Dye No. 3, some of which California and other states have already outlawed, is also targeted for accelerated removal. The plan includes fast-tracking approval of natural alternatives like butterfly pea flower extract, gardenia blue and blue Galdieria extract.

But while the goal of the plan is ambitious, the path to implementation is murky. Kennedy acknowledged the phase-out is based on an “understanding” with industry rather than a binding regulatory mandate. The agencies are requesting — rather than requiring — that manufacturers remove dyes from products sold in the U.S.

Consumer Reports, which has long advocated for eliminating harmful food dyes, called the policy a step in the right direction but warned it could take years to implement.

“It’s encouraging to see the FDA working towards a ban on synthetic food dyes,” said Brian Ronholm, the organization’s director of food policy. “But this multistep plan relies on voluntary industry efforts that will simply prolong the amount of time it will take to get dangerous dyes out of our food.”

Ronholm urges states to continue adopting their own bans in the meantime. Earlier this year, West Virginia passed legislation restricting most artificial dyes, and more than two dozen other states are considering similar bills. Ronholm also raised concerns that recent staff and budget cuts at the FDA could hamper the agency’s ability to follow through.

The dyes in question are found in thousands of processed foods — everything from cereals to candies to beverages — primarily to enhance visual appeal. While the FDA continues to allow their use, researchers and public health experts have increasingly questioned their safety, particularly in light of newer studies linking synthetic dyes to behavioral changes in children.

“It’s a slam dunk that some kids are being harmed by these toxic chemicals,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, a national environmental health organization. “It makes them less prepared to learn. And that is not only terrible for those kids, it makes everything harder for all the other kids in that classroom and the teachers.”

In 2021, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment released a comprehensive review (PDF) of the scientific literature and concluded that synthetic food dyes can negatively affect neurobehavior in some children, especially those with ADHD. The agency determined that the safe intake levels set by the FDA for the additives may not sufficiently protect children because the animal studies used to set these levels were not designed for — or even capable of — detecting neurobehavioral impacts.

That research helped lay the groundwork for California’s School Food Safety Act, which bans six synthetic dyes from public school meals beginning in 2027. And the food industry must remove Red 3 — which has been banned in the European Union, the United Kingdom and China — in all products.

Industry groups are already raising alarms about the new federal announcement. “There are not enough alternatives available to replace these products,” the International Association of Color Manufacturers said in a statement. “Supply chains will take an estimated five to 10 years to catch up and require importing more expensive ingredients grown in China, India and Mexico.”

Still, the political will behind the new plan appears strong. Kennedy’s move gives the Trump administration a headline-grabbing, bipartisan health reform — one that signals both skepticism of corporate food practices and responsiveness to growing parental concern.

Whether it results in meaningful improvements to public health — or stalls under legal and logistical challenges — remains to be seen. But with California leading and momentum building in other states, this could be the moment the U.S. rethinks the chemicals behind its rainbow-hued snacks.