May 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved three new natural food color additives, part of Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s push to move away from artificial options.
"Today we take a major step to Make America Healthy Again," Kennedy said in a statement issued by HHS.
"For too long, our food system has relied on synthetic, petroleum-based dyes that offer no nutritional value and pose unnecessary health risks. We're removing these dyes and approving safe, natural alternatives to protect families and support healthier choices."
Days before President Donald Trump took office in January, the federal government announced it was moving to ban Red No. 3 by the year 2028, after studies showed the long-used synthetic food dye had links to cancer.
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The product's use is already prohibited in California and Illinois, as well as the European Union.
A 2021 report issued by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment looked at potential Neurobehavioral Effects of Synthetic Food Dyes in Children.
In March, Kennedy directed the FDA to close a loophole that gave food companies the ability to "self-affirm" that their ingredients are safe.
Under the department's Make America Healthy Again initiative, Kennedy has vowed to eliminate petroleum-based food dyes in the United States.
"On April 22, I said the FDA would soon approve several new color additives and would accelerate our review of others. I'm pleased to report that promises made have been promises kept," FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary said in a statement issued by the agency.
Friday's approvals relate to a blue extract stemming from a type of unicellular red algae submitted by a French company, as well as a white Calcium phosphate-based additive developed by a New Jersey company. Officials also approved a submission by a Missouri firm for a blue additive derived from butterfly pea flower extract.
