The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made a preliminary decision to ban Orange B. This synthetic color additive has not been used in the United States in decades. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health Secretary, and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, his greatest extension of this proposal. It’s a change they’re making as part of a larger initiative to stop using all petroleum-based dyes in the American food supply. The decision comes in the wake of heightened public concern about the negative health effects these dyes are having on children.
We did an in-depth analysis of the artificial food dyes currently regulated by the FDA – Red No. 3, Blue No. 1, Blue No. Accordingly, we urge the elimination of Orange B. Notably, FDA officials confirmed that no batches of Yellow No. 40 have been certified or requested for use since 1978. There’s very little Yellow No. 5 in common usage. You’d be hard-pressed to find it in significant amount outside the peels of certain citruses.
Kennedy and Makary raised the stakes further, drawing attention to the potentially dire consequences of these food additives on children’s health. Their commitment matches advocacy clean up and advocacy from organizations like the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Sarah Sorscher, who directs regulatory affairs for CSPI, stated that the FDA is “currently willing to take mandatory steps only where it has no impact.” This serves as a stark reminder of the lengths the agency will go to avoid regulating where the industry is already doing something.
The proposal to remove Orange B is notably different from previous attempts during the Trump administration. Those previous efforts were designed to convince food producers to voluntarily remove artificial food dyes from ubiquitous products such as cereals, yogurts and sodas.
The FDA’s recent moves are another sign that the agency is still taking a hard look at synthetic food dyes. The agency has recently come under pressure to re-evaluate Red No. 3 and Blue No. 6. This is in line with its responsible commitment to public safety, even in the area of food additives.
This emergency proposal to phantom Orange B will go into a short public comment period before going into effect within 45 days. That window provides a valuable opportunity for stakeholders and the public to weigh in and express their support or concern for the proposed ban.
“The totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.” – FDA
As regulatory scrutiny increases, the FDA will have to continue navigating the line between industry practices and consumer safety.
