Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday that petroleum-based food dyes will be removed from the U.S. food supply, calling the long-standing use of synthetic chemicals in everyday foods a health crisis for American families. The Kennedy food dye ban marks a significant milestone in President Donald Trump’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda.
Kennedy said the removal of these compounds, which offer “no nutritional benefit,” will restore trust in public health and eliminate what he called “poisonous” additives linked to serious health issues. The move, in coordination with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary, represents the most aggressive crackdown on synthetic food additives in decades.
Makary confirmed that the FDA will begin revoking authorization for the use of dyes like Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B and will phase out six others, including FD&C Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5, by the end of next year. The plan also includes a national timeline for transitioning to natural alternatives and fast-tracking approval for four new natural color additives.
Kennedy emphasized the link between petrochemical dyes and conditions such as ADHD, diabetes, cancer, and food allergies. Makary echoed those concerns, describing today’s food environment as a “toxic soup” of synthetic chemicals. The FDA will also work with the National Institutes of Health to study the long-term impact of food additives on children’s health.
The administration’s goal is clear: eliminate harmful substances that have crept into the national diet and restore health standards that existed before the explosion of chronic illness in recent decades. Kennedy highlighted that when President John F. Kennedy was in office, chronic disease costs were virtually nonexistent. Today, the U.S. spends $1.8 trillion annually treating such illnesses.
Kennedy noted alarming statistics such as 74% of American children being unfit for military service and the spike in autoimmune disorders and allergies, conditions virtually unknown in previous generations.
The FDA is urging food companies to act faster than required on removing Red No. 3, with Kennedy warning that the nation cannot maintain global leadership with an increasingly unhealthy population.
