Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Tuesday that it would eliminate oil -based synthetic dyes by the end of next year.
“For 50 years, American children have lived more and more in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals,” said FDA commissioner Marty Makary during a press conference, according to CNBC.
The latest initiative is part of the continuous efforts of the Secretary of Health and Social Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “make America again healthy”. Currently, the FDA and food companies – including Pepsico, General Mills, Mars and WK Kellogg – do not have an official agreement to eliminate artificial dyes, but an “understanding”, according to Kennedy.
We do not know how the agency would apply this ban if companies refuse to comply.
“There are a number of tools at our disposal,” said Makary. “I believe in love, let’s start in a friendly way and see if we can do it without any statutory or regulatory change, but we explore all the tools in the toolbox to make sure that this is done very quickly. And they want to do it – so why go on a complicated road with Congress? ”
The FDA is in the process of establishing a “national standard” and a calendar for food companies to switch from petroleum -based food coloring to natural alternatives, CNBC reported. The agency also seeks to “revoke the authorization of synthetic food colors, including those in production, in the coming weeks,” said the point of sale.
The six targeted colors include red n ° 40, yellow n ° 5, yellow n ° 6, blue n ° 1, blue n ° 2 and green n ° 3. Food companies are also invited to eliminate red n ° 3 by the end of the new year, which is earlier than the deadline from 2027 to 2028 before.
“For companies that are currently using the oil -based red dye, try watermelon juice or beet juice,” said Makary. “For companies currently combining oil -based yellow coloring and red dyes, try carrot juice.”
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