Kennedy's crackdown on artificial dyes targets ultra-processed foods

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is expected to unveil a nationwide plan to ban petroleum-based artificial food dyes. A vital action in the administration's efforts to make America healthy again.

The announcement, confirmed by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday, While no implementation dates were disclosed. Further more detail will discuss during a news conference on Tuesday.

Artificial food dyes, commonly found in sweets, snacks, soft drinks and breakfast cereals, have been linked to neurological issues in children.

The move follows a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision earlier this year to ban Red Dye 3 from food and pharmaceuticals by 2027, citing cancer concerns from animal testing. California passed its own ban in 2023.

According to nutrition nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) most of artificially coloured foods are made up of synthetic petroleum-based chemicals.

Dr Peter Lurie, a former FDA official and president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said there is no nutritional benefit to synthetic dyes. “They are used to make ultra-processed foods more attractive, especially to children, often to mask the absence of real ingredients,” he said.

Nutrition experts argue that safer alternatives already exist and are in use in countries like Canada, Britain and New Zealand, where companies use natural dyes such as beetroot, turmeric, carrot or watermelon extract instead of synthetic compounds.

“They clearly cause behavioural problems for some – though not all – children, and raise serious safety questions,” said Marion Nestle, a former professor of nutrition at New York University. “It’s no big deal to replace them.”

Kennedy, who made the fight against ultra-processed foods a key promise during his 2024 campaign, has gained support from multiple state legislatures. West Virginia recently enacted its own ban on synthetic dyes and preservatives, and similar legislation is pending elsewhere.