The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making some changes to the rules about food coloring.
The FDA said Thursday that food companies can now say their products have “no artificial colors” if they don’t use colors made from petroleum. This is true even if the products use colors from natural sources, like plants. Before, companies could only say this if their products had no added color at all.
This change is another step toward getting rid of man-made colors in our food.
The FDA is hoping this will encourage companies to use natural colors instead of man-made ones.
Some food companies, like PepsiCo and Nestle, have already started using fewer man-made colors. Also, some states are trying to ban these colors from school lunches.
A group that represents food companies said that this is a good step, but all ingredients should still be carefully tested.
However, some people worry that this change could confuse shoppers. They say that even some natural colors might not be good for you, like titanium dioxide.
The FDA also said they have approved a new natural color, beetroot red, and are using more of a color from algae called spirulina, which makes food blue. Right now, the FDA allows about three dozen natural colors in food.
The agency is also looking at six man-made colors that are often used in food: Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2.
Some health experts have been asking for man-made colors to be taken out of food. They say that some studies suggest these colors could cause problems like hyperactivity in kids. Others say that these bright colors are often found in unhealthy foods that are marketed to children.
The FDA says that most kids are not harmed by man-made colors, but some might be sensitive to them.
