Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce a ban on certain food dyes that are now used in thousands of items, fulfilling a long-held goal of the Health and Human Services secretary as well as many health advocates. A statement issued Monday said food manufacturers will be prohibited from using eight petroleum-based dyes but didn't name them. The research isn't extensive, the New York Times reports, but the dyes have been blamed for hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in children—though not by the Food and Drug Administration, per NBC News.
The government did not say by what means it would enforce such a ban, but the statement said the change should be complete by the end of 2026. A total of 36 foods dyes have FDA approval, including nine made from petroleum; the rest are derived from natural sources such as vegetables. One of the petroleum-based dyes, Red No. 3, was banned in January over fears of a link to cancer. Food companies have until 2027 to stop using it. The nutrition nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says the dyes are added to make junk foods more colorful and appealing to children, per the BBC.
The eight dyes are not used in US products made for the European and Canadian markets, per the Times; natural color substitutes are used in those. States including West Virginia and California have moved against certain dyes. A former nutrition professor says though it's not clear that the dyes are harmful, the move isn't a bad idea. "Enough questions have been raised about their safety to justify getting rid of them, especially because it's no big deal to do so," Marion Nestle says. "Plenty of non-petroleum alternative dyes exist and are in use." Kennedy is to discuss the plan in a press conference on Tuesday. (More Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stories.)
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