FDA gives OK for another natural dye

The FDA has approved another natural dye for use in foods, continuing its war on artificial, petroleum-based food colorings.

The new color is gardinea blue and is extracted from the fruit of the gardenia, a flowering evergreen. The FDA has approved the color additive for use in sports drinks, flavored or enhanced non-carbonated water, fruit drinks and ades, ready-to-drink teas, hard candy and soft candy.

With the approval of the blue coloring, the Food and Drug Administration has now put four food dyes on the approved list. In May the agency gave the OK for three colors derived from natural sources. Those were: galdieria extract blue, a blue colorant derived from the unicellular red algae Galdieria sulphuraria; calcium phosphate, a white powder; and butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used to achieve a range of shades including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens.

The agency has not yet approved any new red, yellow or orange colors for use in foods.

The FDA action on the food dyes is in line with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s work with industry to phase out the use of all synthetic, petroleum-based dyes from the nation’s food supply as part of the administration’s broader Make America Healthy Again initiative.

Kennedy has asked industry to voluntarily remove artificial dyes from food, falling short of imposing new regulations despite his strong opposition to such food additives.

“Every day, children are exposed to synthetic chemicals in food that serve no purpose and threaten their health,” Secretary Kennedy said. “The FDA’s approval of gardenia blue shows we’re finally putting kids first. Thanks to Dr. Marty Makary’s bold leadership, we’re cutting through industry influence and taking decisive action to Make America Healthy Again.”

As head of the FDA, Makary is in lock step with Kennedy on the dye issue, as well as other food and drug initiatives. He refers to the voluntary removal of food dyes as an “expedited timeline.”

“Now, by expanding the palette of available colors derived from natural sources, food manufacturers have a variety of options available that will make it easier to end their use of petroleum-based dyes,” Makary said.

In addition to approving the new color additive, the FDA leader announced that that the agency had sent a letter to manufacturers encouraging them to accelerate the phase-out of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods, including dietary supplements, sooner than the Jan. 15, 2027, required deadline imposed by the Biden Administration. 

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