Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to announce ban on artificial food dyes

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Updated April 21, 2025, 7:36 p.m. ET


Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be delivering on a campaign promise to ban artificial food dyes by announcing the phasing out of eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the nation’s food supply. Kennedy will be joined by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary to discuss the plan at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, according to a release from the Department of Health and Human Services.

While a White House official told USA TODAY on background that there are eight dyes on the chopping block, neither the White House nor the Department of Health and Human Services provided a list or a timeline of the dyes that will be phased out.

Kennedy has railed against Big Food and Big Pharma and blamed the nation’s “chronic disease epidemic” on additives and junk food as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda. The FDA, under the Biden administration, had mandated a ban on Red Dye No. 3, found in candy, desserts, and some medications, by January 15, 2027.

Kennedy told CBS News earlier this month that during a closed-door meeting with food company CEO's he'd demanded that artificial food dyes would "all have to be out within two years." Many processed foods such as candies, snack foods, margarine, soft drinks, jams and pudding contain artificial dyes such as FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red Nos. 3 and 40, FD&C Yellow Nos, according to the FDA.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/21/kennedy-announce-artificial-food-dye-ban/83200313007/

[genxlib]

1. I am OK with this

Of course the devil is in the details but I would love to get rid of pointless chemicals in the food supply

I would just point out that this is a regulation. So I am doubtful it will fly while the anti regulation crowd are dismantling the rest of the rules. Why promote clean food when you don’t care about clean air or water.

[MayReasonRule]

2. Every Old Hog Roots Up A Tasty Acorn On Occasion

Kennedy used to be a delusional malevolent fascist turd.

Kennedy still is a delusional malevolent fascist turd but he used to be too.

[robbob]

10. Was that a Mitch Hedberg reference?

Love it! 😍

[MayReasonRule]

12. Absolutely! All Credit Goes To Mitch!!

Long may we laugh!!!!!

[Chipper Chat]

3. For it.

But if McDonald's ketchup contains it Orangina will reverse it.

[cadoman]

18. why are you for it?

Being for it implies the FDA was not operating correctly before the Relapsing Royal came on board. It was safe for decades--what changed? There's no way a legitimate study was done in this short a time period.

What happens when he bans vaccines or encourages kook treatments for COVID? People will point to this and say "well you supported him on food dyes, why is his science good on that and bad on this?"

[Chipper Chat]

19. I'll cut him some slack on the dyes.

I know red is bad. I cringe every time I eat cherry jello.

[womanofthehills]

20. The red dye study saying it caused cancer in rats was done 30 yrs ago

Government never acted on it.

“ FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3 in Food—Over 30 Years After It Was Linked to Cancer in Rats”

The Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of red dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, the agency announced today.1

“The FDA cited evidence that the synthetic color additive causes cancer in animals—the same reasoning the agency used to ban red dye No. 3 in cosmetics and topical drugs over 30 years ago.”

https://www.health.com/fda-bans-red-dye-no-3-from-food-8775222

[mucifer]

4. Well that is good. Many other countries did that a long time ago. Still got all my hate for that monster.

[JohnnyRingo]

5. Oh boy. Gray Doritos.

My brain will not allow a clear soda to taste like root beer.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. They can use annatto extract

and get the same kind of near-neon orange as Yellow #6!

I use annatto seeds, slowly heated in canola oil, to make achiote oil for Puerto Rican rice dishes (mostly arroz con gandules that I just made this past week to bring for an Easter side dish).



Similarly, turmeric is a popular near-neon yellow substitute for Yellow #5.

[JohnnyRingo]

14. Ok, but don't those add flavor...

..for better or worse?

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Not really

Both the annatto and turmeric are bland and are basically used "for color". Many of the recipes for Indian dishes use turmeric and it's the myriad of other spices that give those recipes "flavor".

[twodogsbarking]

7. Even the blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.

[cstanleytech]

9. Trump's found a shit ton of those......70+ million in fact.

[cstanleytech]

8. I wouldn't object to a ban on High Fructose Corn Syrup.

[womanofthehills]

17. Many baby formulas have corn syrup

Some as their first ingredient. That’s sad. But according to Consumer reports half tested for lead too plus cadmium,

“We Tested 41 Baby Formulas for Lead and Arsenic
While some formulas had concerning levels, there are safer choices. After seeing our results, the FDA is pledging further action.”

https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/baby-formula/baby-formula-contaminants-test-results-a7140095293/

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

11. A broken clock is right twice a day nt

[mdbl]

13. Except in Kennedy's case the clock is missing a face

so who knows?

[JoseBalow]

16. I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's ass