April 2025’s FDA announcement on petroleum-based syntenic dye phase outs has the food manufacturing world on alert. The FDA previously communicated a preference for six dyes to be removed from the food supply by the end of 2026 with FD&C Red No.3 to be phased out from products by January 2027. However, the April notice saw the organization prefer the removal of Red No. 3 even sooner. Still, manufacturers must do their due diligence for a smooth transition to alternative ingredient replacements.
Pablo Elizondo, Senior R&D Manager and Color Specialist with German chemical manufacturing company Capol, weighs in on the timeline for manufacturers to replace red dye products, emphasizing the process will take time.
“[Food manufacturers] are supposed to get [products with the dye] off the shelves by 2027, so they still have time to get it off their formulations. So, it’s not something that can be done overnight especially given the shelf life of products that are already out there,” Elizondo tells ProFood World.
Some big-name CPGs have already made plans to phase out artificial dyes from their operations. Kraft Heinz, General Mills, J.M. Smucker Co., Conagra Brands, and Nestlé USA have released statements on their removal of dyes from select products by the end of 2027 or sooner.
