So, you heard about how the FDA is banning those harmful dyes in popular snacks, right? Well, the Food and Drug Administration, also known as the FDA, is getting rid of those fake colors by the end of next year. Next year, that’s like almost here, right?
This policy change is hitting companies like PepsiCo, General Mills, and WK Kellogg. They’re the ones making all those neon-colored snacks you see at the grocery store. The whole “Make America Healthy Again” thing is saying that big drug and food companies, along with the health agencies, are teaming up to make us unhealthy. Isn’t that just great?
It looks like those bright red Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and colorful Skittles might not be so bright in the future. The FDA is saying no to those petroleum-based synthetic dyes, starting next year. They had a press conference on Tuesday, with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary saying American kids have been living in a chemical mess for 50 years.
Food companies use stuff like red dye 40 to make their products look pretty and attract customers. But, turns out, people in the US have been getting mad about fake colors for more than 10 years now. The big food giants like PepsiCo and General Mills are saying that banning these dyes doesn’t make sense without any proof of danger.
The FDA and the food industry don’t really have a formal plan yet, just an “understanding,” according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. So, who knows what will happen if companies don’t listen? The FDA has some tools they can use to make sure everyone follows the rules.
Makary is saying they want to do this without a bunch of laws and rules, but they’ll do whatever it takes. They’re setting a national standard for the food industry to switch to natural dyes and getting rid of the fake ones. Say goodbye to red dye 40, yellow dye 5, and blue dye 1 – they’re all going away by the end of the year.
For companies that use red dye, they should try watermelon juice or beet juice instead. And if they mix yellow and red dyes, they can try carrot juice. Sounds tasty, right? Makary is also going to approve four new natural color additives soon, so get ready for some changes in your snacks.
