Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a ban on eight artificial food dyes from all U.S. products, including candies, ice creams, soft drinks, jams, and even medications, by the end of 2026.
The announcement came during an April 22 press conference in Washington, D.C., where Kennedy detailed the federal plan to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes that have long been a staple of processed foods.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these dyes have been used for decades to counteract color loss due to exposure to light and heat, and to add color to otherwise dull or colorless products—especially those aimed at children.
For years, Kennedy has been an outspoken critic of what he calls “Big Food” and “Big Pharma,” repeatedly linking artificial additives, dyes, and preservatives to the rise in chronic illnesses among Americans. During his 2024 run for the Democratic presidential nomination—and later as an independent candidate—he made the issue a key part of his campaign platform.
RFK JR: "We have them on the run now and we are going to win this battle. Four years from now, we're going to have most of these products off the market or you will know about them when you go to the grocery store." pic.twitter.com/COcB36qJWK
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) April 22, 2025
Though Kennedy eventually endorsed former President Donald Trump, many of his public health ideas were adopted by Trump and are now central to the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative. The push to remove artificial dyes is now among the top health priorities of the current administration.
Earlier this year, Kennedy met privately with top executives from major food and beverage companies—including PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Kellogg’s, and Tyson Foods—to press the urgency of removing these dyes from their products. In that March meeting, Kennedy reportedly told company leaders, “They all have to be out within two years,” according to CBS News.
This marks a significant shift in food policy, as many of the dyes being banned have long been controversial. Critics point to studies linking them to hyperactivity in children and potential carcinogenic effects. Europe has already banned or heavily restricted many of these dyes, but U.S. regulators have been slower to act—until now.
RFK JR: ADD, ADHD… Tourette syndrome, Narcolepsy, Autism.. All of these are injuries that I never heard of when I was a kid. pic.twitter.com/9Nw88CBXgO
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 22, 2025
One dye, Red Dye No. 3, was already facing elimination under a previous FDA mandate issued during the Biden administration, which set a removal deadline of January 15, 2027.
That dye is commonly used in candies, pastries, and some over-the-counter medications. But under Kennedy’s leadership, the scope of the ban has broadened significantly and will now include a full list of eight synthetic colorants to be removed by the end of 2026—accelerating the timeline and expanding the impact.
Martin Makary, the newly appointed FDA Commissioner under the Trump administration, spoke at the press conference alongside Kennedy. Makary reiterated the administration’s commitment to the MAHA agenda and called the dye ban “a long overdue step to protect American children and families.”
“The era of feeding our population chemicals with questionable safety records is coming to an end,” Makary said. “This administration will not stand by while corporations profit at the expense of public health.”
The Consumer Brands Association, which represents food, beverage, and household product manufacturers, alerted its members that Kennedy considers the removal of synthetic dyes an “urgent priority” that must be completed before the end of Trump’s second term.
Consumer advocacy groups and health-conscious parents have hailed the move as a major victory. Vani Hari, better known as “The Food Babe,” has spent more than a decade campaigning against artificial ingredients in American food. She praised the administration’s decision and said it signaled a new era of accountability for both government regulators and food manufacturers.
“I never thought I’d see the day when the FDA actually did this,” Hari said. “I had lost faith in my government leaders, and now it’s been restored. The FDA is no longer sleeping at the wheel.”
Kennedy’s bold approach to food safety regulation signals a shift from the bureaucratic slow-walking seen in previous administrations. Rather than taking a piecemeal approach or punting difficult decisions down the road, the Trump administration—through its MAHA initiative—is moving aggressively to clean up the nation’s food supply and address long-ignored health risks.
According to Kennedy, the ultimate goal is not only to protect Americans from harmful ingredients but to drastically reduce chronic disease rates, which have skyrocketed over the past two decades. “We’re fighting a war against the hidden poisons in our food,” he said at the press conference. “And this is just the beginning.”
The exact list of banned dyes will be published by the FDA later this month, and companies will be given compliance guidelines. Meanwhile, the administration has hinted at additional food policy reforms in the coming months—potentially targeting synthetic preservatives, ultra-processed foods, and even the labeling standards that govern “natural” and “healthy” claims on packaging.
For now, the Trump administration is framing the dye ban as a bipartisan win for public health. Whether it sets the stage for further reform—or fierce industry pushback—remains to be seen.