The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plan to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from food and drugs in the United States by the end of 2026.
The agencies plan to create a national standard and timeline to transition from synthetic to natural alternatives. That includes revoking authorization for two synthetic dyes, Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B, within months, and eliminating the six remaining dyes on the market by the end of next year.
Those include Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, and Green Dye No. 3.
The April 22 FDA news release states the plan is designed to standardize a patchwork of dye allowances throughout the states that make it difficult for companies to comply. Approximately 30 states have banned or are considering banning certain synthetic food dyes.
“We’ve had wonderful meetings with the food industry,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference. “I’ve been amazed, and they are eager to do this. They are good people. … They have kids too, and I think we all want the same thing.”[SK1]
Concerns About Chronic Disease
In the release, Makary elaborated on the push to remove food dyes.
“We have a new epidemic of childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and ADHD,” said Makary. “Given the growing concerns of doctors and parents about the potential role of petroleum-based food dyes, we should not be taking risks and do everything possible to safeguard the health of our children.”
Food companies in Europe and Canada use natural dyes instead of the petrochemical compounds used in U.S. food.
“These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated in the release. “That era is coming to an end. We’re restoring gold-standard science, applying common sense, and beginning to earn back the public’s trust.”
Connection to Illnesses
Kennedy mentioned food dyes as a major concern when he was appointed to head the HHS in November. A Lancet study published in 2007 found increased hyperactivity in children in the general population who consumed products with synthetic food dyes.
After the Lancet study, most of those dyes are still being used in many American packaged foods. In some cases, use has increased. A 2016 study published by the National Institutes of Health found 350 out of 810 grocery store products sampled contained artificial dyes.
An NIH study by Laura J. Stevens et. al., published in 2013, found a fivefold increase in artificial food dyes inspected by the FDA between 1950 and 2012. A recent Wall Street Journal report found 13 percent of American food products contain at least one petrochemical dye.
The vast majority of these are Red Dye No. 40 and Yellow Dyes No. 5 and 6, says Peter McCullough, M.D., a cardiologist and chief scientific officer of The Wellness Company.
“Clinical studies show consuming these dyes is clearly associated with worsening of ADHD, which the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] says is evident in 11 percent of our children,” said McCullough. “It disrupts their social interactions and learning.”
Parents have managed their children’s ADHD symptoms by changing the children’s diets, says Michelle Cretella, M.D., a pediatrician and member of the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons.
“It is possible for individuals to see improvements relatively quickly,” said Cretella.
Doubts About Compliance
In its release, the FDA does not say what will happen if companies are not cooperative with the six stated actions. Recent history has not been promising.
In 2015, Kellogg’s announced it would no longer use synthetic food dyes in its products, but the company never followed through, says Katy Talento, an epidemiologist and longtime health policy advisor.
“I’m not holding my breath that all these companies will get these toxins out of the foods in a timely, comprehensive, or appropriate way,” said Talento. “I suspect the FDA will have to use its enforcement and regulatory powers, and when that happens, I have no doubt that some of these companies will not hesitate to use lawfare to continue poisoning Americans.”
Food companies may be slow to change, says Cretella.
“The number one reason this ban has taken so long is the same reason the vast majority of physicians have no idea that petroleum-derived products are harmful to human health; namely, there are widespread financial conflicts of interest in American medicine and education,” said Cretella.
The dyes are also used in pharmaceuticals, says McCullough.
“We should get these artificial dyes out of prescription medication and supplements,” said McCullough. “Some daily drugs are taken for decades.”
Confounding Factors
It will take time to determine the precise effect of dye removal on people’s health, says Talento.
“These toxins are just one of many types of toxins causing chronic illness,” said Talento. “We know their rates of disease causation in controlled studies, when isolated from a bunch of other exposures. Without comprehensive science about the independent impact of the toxins over certain durations, quantities, age of exposure, and impact of the combination of other toxic exposures, we can’t predict exactly when we’ll see health impacts.”
It is important to document these effects, says Talento.
“We must start somewhere, and then move on to the next set of toxins, and the next set after that, if we hope to truly conquer the chronic illness epidemic,” said Talento.
Ashley Bateman ([email protected]) writes from Virginia.
