RFK Plans to Kick Artificial Dyes Out of Our Food and Drinks

Alright, listen up: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new Health and Human Services big shot, is shaking things up. He’s got a plan to boot those fake, petroleum-based food dyes out of our snacks and drinks by the end of 2026. This is part of that “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) vibe the Trump crew’s pushing, and it’s all about cleaning up what we’re eating. The FDA, with Marty Makary at the helm, is telling food companies to swap out the sketchy stuff for natural dyes like beet juice, turmeric, or carrot juice.

Right now, the FDA’s cool with 36 food dyes, but nine of ‘em are synthetic—like Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Blue No. 1. You know, the stuff that makes your cereal look like a rainbow or your sports drink glow. Problem is, studies say these might mess with kids’ heads, making ‘em hyper or act out. California’s been sounding alarms since 2021, and Red No. 3 got the boot in January 2025 after it was linked to cancer in lab rats. RFK’s targeting eight of these dyes, with Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B next on the chopping block, and the rest gone by next year.

People are split on this. Health nuts, like the folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, are stoked. They’re like, “These dyes are pointless and just make junk food look pretty.” Dr. Peter Lurie, who used to roll with the FDA, says dyes are just a trick to make cheap food look fancy. But the food industry’s pushing back, saying dyes are safe and swapping ‘em out could mess up their whole operation. Some brands, like Kraft, already ditched fake dyes for their mac and cheese back in 2015, so it’s not impossible.

This ain’t just a U.S. thing—Canada and Europe use natural stuff like blueberry or carrot juice in their Froot Loops, while we’re stuck with the fake stuff. The FDA’s planning to greenlight four new natural dyes to make the switch easier. Still, some folks, like Yale’s Susan Mayne, aren’t sold. They’re like, “Fixing dyes won’t fix obesity or junk food addiction.”

RFK’s giving companies two years to get with the program, and it’s technically “voluntary,” but with states like California and West Virginia banning dyes in school lunches, the pressure’s on. The FDA’s teaming up with the National Institutes of Health to dig deeper into what these additives do to us. It’s a big move to clean up our food, but it’s gonna take some serious teamwork to pull it off.

Sources: NBC News, The New York Times, FDA.gov