The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three color additives derived from natural sources for use in food products, responding to increasing public concern over the health risks associated with synthetic dyes.
“The FDA determines whether an additive is safe to use by considering the projected human dietary exposure to the color additive, the additive’s toxicological data, and other relevant information, such as published literature,” the agency said.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has made phasing out synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply a centerpiece of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, hailed the decision as “a major step” toward that goal.
“For too long, our food system has relied on synthetic, petroleum-based dyes that offer no nutritional value and pose unnecessary health risks,” he said in a press release. “We’re removing these dyes and approving safe, natural alternatives—to protect families and support healthier choices.”
The FDA said the final rule will be published in the Federal Register on May 12 and take effect in June.
The Newly Approved Natural Dyes
Galdieria extract blue is derived from Galdieria sulphuraria, a red microalgae found in highly acidic volcanic springs. It carries a water-soluble blue pigment called C-Phycocyanin, according to Fermentalg, a French biotech company that petitioned the FDA for its approval in 2021.The dye is approved for a wide range of products, including fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, flavored milks, yogurt drinks, milk-based meal replacements, breakfast cereals, candies, chewing gum, frostings, ice creams, popsicles, gelatin desserts, puddings, and dairy or non-dairy creamers and whipped toppings.
Butterfly pea flower extract is a blue color that can produce a range of shades, including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens, according to the FDA. It is made by extracting pigment from the dried petals of the butterfly pea plant, which is native to and widely found in southern United States.
Previously approved for beverages and frozen treats, the FDA has now expanded its permitted uses to include cereals, crackers, snack mixes, hard pretzels, plain potato and corn chips, tortilla chips, and multigrain chips. The expanded use stems from a February 2024 petition submitted by Sensient Colors, a major global supplier of food dyes headquartered in St. Louis.
Calcium phosphate is a naturally occurring mineral made of calcium and phosphorus, and has been newly approved as a white colorant for ready-to-eat chicken products, white candy melts, doughnut sugar, and coating sugars for candy. This approval followed a 2023 petition by Innophos Inc., a New Jersey-based mineral solutions company.