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On April 22, 2025, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a bold initiative that removes eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes over the next two years and is next to a friend in the European Union who has had many of these petroleum-based synthetic muscles for many years.
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From M&MS to Doritos, many of the foods we snack on now contain one or more artificial food dyes in our “chopping blocks” in the US. In fact, a recent Wall Street Journal analysis found that one in ten foods contains at least one synthetic dye. This means including foods that you can't even expect to include synthetic dyes, such as certain pickles or ready-made pie crusts.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Fox News | Jesse Watters Primetime)
But is it important to our health and our children's health?
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With full transparency, research is inconclusive. There is no clear causal study that shows that these petroleum-based artificial food dyes directly lead to cancer, mental health issues, or obesity, among other health conditions. However, as highlighted by US FDA commissioner Dr. Marty McCurry and other health experts, the rise in the scientific literature shows a clear correlation.
For example, a 2021 California report suggests that synthetic food dyes are associated with hyperactivity and neurobehavioral issues in some children. Furthermore, scientific studies examining FD&C Red No. 3 found that it can cause cancer in rats. If there is no high-quality human-based research on this topic, do you really want to ignore this finding and the risk FD&C Red3 is the cause of cancer in family and friends?
Dr. Marty McCurry testified before the Senate Committee at a confirmation hearing held in Washington, D.C. on March 6, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
It is important to remember that the lack of causal studies does not mean that these artificial food dyes are safe. This level of lack of scientific literature is not due to limited interest, but due to the many environmental and other confounding factors that make such research extremely challenging and very difficult to properly explain in a robust way.
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Therefore, there may be only preliminary studies showing correlations between synthetic food dyes and health status, but common sense should be used.
Petroleum-based synthetic food dyes do not provide nutritional value. You cannot argue that it adds health benefits to food. In fact, they are often used in ultra-highly processed foods that are addictive and can have a negative impact on the health and well-being of individuals.
The goal of synthetic food dyes is to attract customers to attractive, long-lasting, vibrant colors that are not found in nature. Using these dyes could increase American sales in America, but at the expense of our health and the health of the next generation of Americans.
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The process of removing petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from our food has officially begun at full power, but tomorrow we won't wake up on grocery store shelves that will remove these about chemicals. In the interim, we must work to become more educated and thoughtful consumers.
By making it a habit to look at the ingredients list on food packaging, you can know which foods have these artificial dyes, and you can search for alternative products or abandon them completely. We recommend that all of us focus on reducing the intake of products containing these synthetic dyes and adding whole foods and natural herbs to our diet.
Leadership demonstrated by addressing this issue at the national level with clear guidelines and expectations provides much needed clarity to all stakeholders, not just food-making companies but also families.
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Importantly, the policy is not to ban food or reduce choices. It simply works to make us a healthier country. For example, there is still a Froot loop, but the colors we love should be created using natural alternatives such as yellow turmeric, red beetroot, blue-green spirulina, and carrots for oranges.
The Trump administration should be praised for this important step forward in their continued efforts to make America healthy again, but there is much to do to “fix” our country's health and health system.
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The opinions, ideas and ideas expressed in this article are the authors alone and are not necessarily the opinions of the employers or institutions they affiliated with.
