On May 9, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted three color additive petitions, approving two new colorings and expanding one existing approval. These approvals come after the agency’s announcement last month to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food by the end of 2026 and transition to natural alternatives (see our post here). Under section 721 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), color additives (unless exempt from batch certification) are subject to FDA approval to determine their safety for use in food. The agency evaluates the safety of color additives based on multiple factors including projected human dietary exposure to the additive, toxicological data, and other relevant information. Once FDA approves a color additive petition, any manufacturer can use the additive in foods for the approved intended uses.
The agency has granted the following color additive petitions:
- Galdieria extract blue – approved use in nonalcoholic beverages and beverage bases, fruit drinks, fruit smoothies, fruit juices, vegetable juices, dairy-based smoothies, milk shakes and flavored milks, yogurt drinks, milk-based meal replacement and nutritional beverages, breakfast cereal coatings, hard candy, soft candy and chewing gum, flavored frostings, ice cream and frozen dairy desserts, frozen fruits, water ices and popsicles, gelatin desserts, puddings and custards, and whipped cream, yogurt, frozen or liquid creamers (including non-dairy alternatives), and whipped toppings (including non-dairy alternatives).
- Butterfly pea flower extract – expanded to approve use for ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, snack mixes, hard pretzels, plain potato chips (restructured or baked), plain corn chips, tortilla chips and multigrain chips.
- Calcium phosphate – approved use in ready-to-eat chicken products, white candy melts, doughnut sugar and sugar for coated candies.
The agency has explicitly identified these additives as substitutes for the synthetic dyes the agency plans to phase out, encouraging manufacturers to transition to these alternatives.