FDA asks companies to voluntarily remove 8 petroleum-based dyes as states pass mandatory bans

FDA and HHS announced the voluntary phase-out on April 22, 2025, targeting eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes by end of 2026

The two least-used dyes — Orange B and Citrus Red No. 2 — are being formally revoked through rulemaking; the six common dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3) rely on voluntary industry compliance only

West Virginia HB 2354, signed March 2025, creates a mandatory ban on seven synthetic dyes in school meals starting August 1, 2025, and statewide by January 1, 2028 — though a federal court blocked statewide enforcement in December 2025

California Food Safety Act bans Red No. 3 starting January 1, 2027; the Biden-era FDA had separately revoked federal authorization for Red No. 3 in January 2025

A 2007 UK study linked six food dyes plus sodium benzoate to increased hyperactivity in children, prompting the EU to require warning labels starting in 2010

The EU warning label requirement led food companies to voluntarily reformulate European products without dyes — those same companies still sell dye-containing versions in the U.S.

Mars pledged in 2016 to remove artificial colors within five years but never fulfilled that commitment; WK Kellogg became the first U.S. manufacturer to sign a legally binding voluntary compliance agreement for its cereals by 2027