Eight artificial dyes will be eliminated from medications and the nation's food supply by the end of 2026, including those found in candy, ice cream, soft drinks and jams, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
These artificial dyes – detailed during an April 22 news conference in Washington – are used to offset color loss due to exposure to light, temperature extremes as well as to provide color to colorless and "fun" foods, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
For years, Kennedy has railed against Big Food and Big Pharma and blamed the nation’s “chronic disease epidemic” on additives and junk food, including during his campaign for president in the 2024 Democratic primaries and then as an independent. After he endorsed President Donald Trump, Trump incorporated those ideas into his own campaign and they're now part of the new administration's Make America Healthy Again agenda.