The plan, expected to be described in detail at an event in Washington on Tuesday, targets dyes used in cereals, sports drinks and a host of other foods. The department has not outlined a regulatory path to enforce the changes, but wants them to be made by the end of 2026. Health advocates have long criticized food dyes, citing a limited body of research connecting them to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in children. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates about 80 percent of the nation’s food supply, banned Red Dye No. 3 shortly before Mr. Trump took office, after studies connected it to cancer in laboratory animals. That followed a 2023 California law that banned the dye.

Kennedy will be joined by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary in discussing the proposal, according to an HHS press release. The FDA has approved 36 food dyes that are commonly used in soda, candy and cereal – among them Red No. 3, Blue No. 1 and Green No. 3. The FDA under the Biden administration banned Red Dye No. 3, which some studies have linked to health problems, before President Trump took office and Kennedy was sworn in as HHS secretary. States including Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts and West Virginia have made state-level efforts to get dyes out of food served in schools.

The directive, expected to be announced in full detail on Tuesday, affects hundreds of thousands of grocery store items containing eight petroleum-based dyes, which health experts have long criticized for potentially causing hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in children, according to a New York Times report. The eight dyes being targeted include Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, and Orange B, according to details provided by HHS officials to the Times. Food industry experts estimate that the reformulation costs could reach into the billions, though many companies have already developed alternative formulations for their European and Canadian products.

Trump administration to announce plan to remove artificial food dyes from US food supply. RED DYE NUMBER 3 was BANNED FROM COSMETICS DUE TO POTENTIAL CANCER RISKS. RYAN URBAN: A TRIP TO THE GROCERY STORE IS MORE TH than ROUTINE.

FDA set to ban use of seven of the most common food dyes in the U.S. They include Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, and White. The dyes have been linked to cancer and other health problems. The FDA is set to announce the ban at a press conference tomorrow.