RFK Jr. plans to phase out eight artificial dyes from the US food supply

WASHINGTON – U.S. wellness officials said they program to signifier retired 8 petroleum-based artificial colors from the nation's nutrient supply, triggering an overhaul of scores of brightly hued products connected American store shelves.

Details of the program are expected to beryllium announced Tuesday day by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, who person advocated the alteration arsenic portion of Kennedy's “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

The officials are expected to spell retired a regulatory way for removing the colour additives, a process that typically requires nationalist announcement and bureau review. It would beryllium a sweeping alteration for U.S. nutrient producers, who would apt regenerate the dyes with earthy substitutes.

Health advocates person agelong called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they tin origin neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attraction issues, successful immoderate children. The FDA has maintained that the approved dyes are harmless and that “the totality of technological grounds shows that astir children person nary adverse effects erstwhile consuming foods containing colour additives.”

The FDA presently allows 36 nutrient colour additives, including 8 synthetic dyes. In January, the bureau announced that the dye known arsenic Red 3 — utilized successful candies, cakes and immoderate medications — would beryllium banned by 2028 due to the fact that it caused crab successful laboratory rats.

The dyes Kennedy wants to region are utilized wide successful the U.S. foods. In Canada and successful Europe — wherever artificial colors are required to transportation informing labels — manufacturers usage earthy substitutes.

Some U.S. states, specified arsenic California and West Virginia, precocious enacted laws that prohibition artificial colors and different additives from schoolhouse meals, and successful immoderate cases, the broader nutrient supply.

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Aleccia reported from California.

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