FDA slows synthetic-dye phase-out as 160 food and ag groups push to renew USMCA

Roughly 14 months after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA jointly announced a national initiative to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the American food supply, a growing list of manufacturers has made formal commitments — but consumer advocates say the pace and scope of industry action still falls short of what is needed.

The regulatory framework: voluntary, not mandatory

On April 22, 2025, the FDA announced plans to phase out six certified color additives — FD&C Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2 — by the end of 2027, according to the agency's pledge tracker. The FDA separately revoked authorization for Red No. 3 earlier that year and is moving to strike the regulations that permit Orange B and Citrus Red No. 2.

Critically, the initiative is built on voluntary industry pledges rather than a regulatory mandate. The FDA is coordinating with food manufacturers, retailers, and trade associations to achieve the transition, but has not issued a binding rule requiring removal of the six remaining dyes.

Who has committed — and who hasn't

The FDA's tracker, updated as of December 12, 2025, shows a broad cross-section of companies and trade groups pledging reformulation. General Mills committed to eliminating certified color additives from all U.S. cereals and K-12 school foods by summer 2026, with full retail portfolio compliance targeted by end of 2027, according to the FDA. Campbell's indicated it will no longer produce any food or beverages with FD&C colors by the second half of its 2026 fiscal year.

Conagra Brands set a more layered timeline: eliminating certified color additives from its U.S. frozen product portfolio by the end of 2025, stopping sales to K-12 schools by the 2026–2027 school year, and clearing its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027, per the FDA tracker. Grupo Bimbo — whose U.S. brands include Arnold, Little Bites, and Thomas' — pledged to remove certified colors from its entire portfolio by end of 2026.

Trade associations are also on the list. The Consumer Brands Association committed to encouraging its members to stop manufacturing with certified color additives by December 31, 2027, and to halt use in school meal products by the 2026 school year, according to the FDA. The American Bakers Association similarly pledged to eliminate FD&C colors from all baked goods provided to K-12 schools through federal nutrition programs by the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

Consumer Reports, however, found a different picture when it looked beyond the pledge list. Writing in April 2026, the publication noted that plenty of large food companies — including some of the biggest in the country — had made no commitments at all, even where they already use natural color alternatives in products sold in markets where synthetic dyes are restricted.

Consumer sentiment is running ahead of corporate action

A nationally representative survey conducted by Consumer Reports in March 2026 found that 72 percent of U.S. adults say they are at least somewhat concerned about synthetic dyes in food. The same survey found that 66 percent believe food and drug companies should be required — not merely encouraged — to phase them out, a finding that underscores the gap between the voluntary framework the FDA has deployed and what a majority of consumers say they want.

Parallel policy shifts add pressure across the supply chain

The synthetic dye debate is playing out against a backdrop of broader regulatory activity affecting the food and beverage sector. California's State Assembly passed AB 2244, a bill that would create a state certification program allowing qualifying products to carry a 'Non-Ultraprocessed Certified' label, according to DLA Piper's June 2026 food and beverage newsletter. Certified products would require recertification at least every three years, and large retailers with more than $10 million in annual gross sales offering more than 25 certified items would be required to ensure those items are clearly identifiable to consumers. The bill has moved to the state Senate for committee hearings.

On import safety, the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced HR 2715 — the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act — with a unanimous, bipartisan 43–0 vote, per DLA Piper. The bill would grant the FDA authority to destroy imported foods that fail safety inspections at the border, closing a gap that currently allows rejected products to be rerouted through different U.S. ports of entry. The FDA already has destruction authority over imported medical devices and medications, but not food.

At the USDA, a significant organizational change is underway. The agency renamed its Food and Nutrition Service to the Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA), effective June 1, 2026, and the deputy under secretary position overseeing the office has gone vacant following the departure of Patrick Penn, who has moved to the USDA's Office of Tribal Relations, according to Civil Eats. FNA oversees 16 nutrition assistance programs including SNAP, school meals, and WIC, and advocates have raised concerns that the reorganization — which requires D.C.-based staff to relocate or effectively resign — could disrupt program administration.

For food manufacturers navigating the dye transition, the USDA restructuring carries a specific operational implication: school food programs represent a key early deadline in most corporate pledge timelines, and leadership instability at the agency responsible for those programs adds a layer of uncertainty around compliance benchmarks for the 2026–2027 school year.