Melissa Wright has been hearing from food producers across Virginia. Jam and hot sauce makers, mostly, who tend to use food dyes. They are scrambling to figure out how to comply with changes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made this spring to phase out synthetic food dyes, sometimes called petroleum-based dyes.
Wright, who works in Virginia Tech’s department of food science and technology, said there is some evidence synthetic dyes may have health consequences, if they’re consumed in very large quantities.
“We know that there’s a lot of research out there. A lot of it’s tied to ADHD in children and things like that,” Wright said.
The FDA recently announced food producers will need to stop using synthetic food dyes by the end of next year. These ingredients include Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, and Green No. 3.
The FDA also recently approved three naturally derived dyes: Butterfly pea flower and an algae, both of which make blue, and calcium phosphate, which can turn foods white.
But Wright said naturally derived colors can be more costly than synthetic ones, and they may change how the foods you’re used to looks. (Doritos and Cheetos may not be the same shade of orange). Also, she added, just because they’re natural doesn’t make them automatically safe.
“There’s not a lot of research that has been done about these naturally derived ones,” Wright said. “So we really know more about these certified colors and how they act in the human body than we do about these naturally sourced ones.”
She notes the FDA does review health studies when considering whether to approve ingredients. In an email, a spokesperson with the FDA said all companies that makes these ingredients will be subject to regular inspections to ensure they are safe.
The new rules for naturally derived ingredients are on track to go into effect by the end of this month. The public can comment on the FDA’s decision by June 11.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
