FDA Eases Rules on Artificial Colors for Natural Alternatives

The FDA announced a relaxation of regulations regarding the labeling of food products as “no artificial colors,” allowing companies to make this claim if colors are derived from natural or plant-based sources. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. commended the change, which aims to encourage the use of safer, naturally derived alternatives to petroleum-based colors. The FDA also expanded its list of approved natural food colorings, acknowledging that natural colors should not be classified as artificial. This initiative is part of a broader effort to phase out synthetic colors from the food supply, following a ban on the potentially cancer-causing red dye, Red 3.

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