On Feb. 5, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced additional steps to transition the nation’s food supply from the use of artificial petroleum-based colors to alternatives derived from natural sources.

In April 2025, HHS and FDA officially announced its plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply as part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.

Companies will now have flexibility to claim products contain “no artificial colors” when the products do not contain petroleum-based colors. Previously, companies were only able to make such claims when their products had no added color whatsoever—whether natural sources or not.

“This is real progress. We are making it easier for companies to move away from petroleum-based synthetic colors and adopt safer, naturally derived alternatives. This momentum advances our broader effort to help Americans eat real food and Make America Healthy Again,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Additionally, FDA also approved beetroot red, a new natural color option, and approved the expanded use of spirulina extract, an existing color additive derived from a natural source. This brings the total number of new approved food color options to six.

“We acknowledge that calling colors derived from natural sources ‘artificial’ might be confusing for consumers and a hindrance for companies to explore alternative food coloring options. We’re taking away that hindrance and making it easier for companies to use these colors in the foods our families eat every day,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH.

“We are working diligently to facilitate industry’s phase out of petroleum-based colors and speed up authorizations for colors that are derived from alternative sources. The actions announced today give companies even more ways to transition to the use of alternative colors derived from natural sources,” added Kyle Diamantas, JD, deputy commissioner for human foods. “ 

For more information, visit www.fda.gov or www.hhs.gov.