‘No artificial colors’ takes on new meaning

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‘No artificial colors’ takes on new meaning

6 Feb 2026

Annie Hollon

Annie Hollon is a journalist, copywriter and social media strategist from the Dallas, Texas area. She found a love for magazine writing during her time at the University of Alabama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in public relations and English. Beyond writing, you can find her expanding her library, attempting to teach herself the guitar and trying new hobbies.

SILVER SPRING, MD — Over the past few years, the FDA has made a concerted effort to phase out artificial dyes from CPG products in the US food supply. This includes the deauthorization of six synthetic dyes in April 2025 and the speedy approval of naturally derived ingredient alternatives such as butterfly pea flower extract.

To ease this transition for producers, the government agency offered some flexibility for how companies can claim a product contains “no artificial colors.” The phrasing is now acceptable in reference to products that do not contain petroleum-based colors — rather than no artificial color at all — regardless of sourcing.

“We are making it easier for companies to move away from petroleum-based synthetic colors and adopt safer, naturally derived alternatives,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “This momentum advances our broader effort to help Americans eat real food and Make America Healthy Again.”

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary shared that softening the definition will help companies that are exploring the use of alternative color options and offer more clarity for consumers.

As part of the accelerated approval process for natural food dyes, the FDA cleared beetroot red as a new color option and expanded use cases for spirulina extract. The addition of these alternative dyes brings the total of food color ingredients approved by the agency to six.

The phrasing is now acceptable in reference to products that do not contain petroleum-based colors — rather than no artificial color at all — regardless of sourcing.

“We are working diligently to facilitate the food industry’s phase out of petroleum-based colors and speed up authorizations for colors that are derived from alternative sources,” said Kyle Diamantas, deputy commissioner for human foods. “The actions announced today give companies even more ways to transition to the use of alternative colors derived from natural sources.”

The move continues the thread of support from the HHS and FDA in this transition period for manufacturers. In the baking industry, several companies — including, but not limited to, Grupo Bimbo, The Campbell’s Co., The J.M. Smucker Co. and Rise Baking Co. — have already pledged to remove or phase out artificial dyes from their lineups.

To support bakers further, the American Bakers Association announced two voluntary pledges designed to help manufacturers remove these ingredients from their offerings. The “Baked Goods in Schools Pledge” is focused on substituting these ingredients in products distributed in K-12 schools in time for the 2026-27 school year, whereas the “Baked Goods FD&C Colors Pledge” is intended to encourage bakers across the industry.

This isn’t the first claim the FDA has redefined. Last month, the agency revamped the definition of the nutrient content claim “healthy,” outlining that products must contain a certain amount of an item designated in the recently reworked Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

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