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

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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/