By Julie Holt, Director, Global Advisory Services
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a bold ultimatum to some of the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturers earlier this month. Kennedy stated that companies have until the end of his term in 2029 to remove artificial food dyes from their products or face government intervention. The removal of these dyes is an urgent priority of the Trump administration and a pillar of the Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) platform. The directive is intended to create real and transformative change by removing what Kennedy claims are “the worst ingredients” out of food products. Artificial colorants have been used in processed foods for years, and their long-term safety has been debated. However, there is no conclusive scientific evidence that demonstrates they are harmful. Some of these dyes are petroleum-based.
Regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have reviewed scientific studies and concluded that these food dyes do not pose significant health risks. However, not everyone agrees with this conclusion and the safety of these colorants remains controversial. Interestingly, a food dye may be deemed safe in one country but not in another, making it confusing to truly assess safety.
Secretary Kennedy’s firm federal stance on the removal of these colorant additives is supported by many lawmakers, and state pressures also exist in the form of additive bans. Many multi-national food companies are already preparing to respond by reformulating some of the products in their portfolios. Identifying and using natural food dye replacements will likely be a time intensive and costly proposition. Representatives from many large food manufacturers met with Secretary Kennedy and his team earlier this month, and the Secretary assured all that he is not pursuing punitive measures but “committed to working with the food industry” to achieve the goal of removing artificial food dyes.
Implications for Clients: How FoodChain ID Assists with Regulatory Change
The industry experts at FoodChain ID realize that reformulations are never easy. Our staff offer resourcing and consulting to ease the regulatory burden of the ingredient substitution process. Regulatory concerns related to reformulations include not only ingredient compliance, often for multiple markets, but the potential introduction of new allergens and label impacts. Our consultants have supported reformulation activities for multiple clients.
Julie Holt, Director, Global Advisory Services
Julie Holt is a subject matter expert in the areas of food and beverage, additives, and regulatory strategy. She has beverage industry expertise and currently provides consulting support across multiple beverage categories. Ms. Holt has more than 25+ years of regulatory experience in the food and food ingredients industries and managed her own advisory firm, Scientific & Regulatory Solutions LLC, prior to joining FoodChain ID. As a consultant, Julie supported several food and beverage clients including a Fortune 50 company. Julie has provided global regulatory knowledge covering more than 200 countries.
