Food Dye Timeline: Every FDA Action on Synthetic Dyes, With Dates and Sources
By OTHER Natural Flavors, a service of Xponent21 Inc · Last checked October 31, 2026
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FDA revoked the authorization for FD&C Red No. 3, with a binding compliance date of January 15, 2027 for food and January 18, 2028 for ingested drugs. Six other certified color additives, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40 (Red 40), FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1 and FD&C Blue No. 2, are in a voluntary phase-out that FDA now targets for the end of 2027. FDA revoked the listing for Orange B effective September 8, 2026, and has proposed revoking the listing for Citrus Red No. 2.
Regulatory teams need to separate binding revocations from voluntary targets when they plan reformulation work.
Every FDA action on synthetic food dyes: the timeline table
Actions fall into two legal categories. A revocation published by FDA has the force of law and sets a date after which the color can no longer be used. The federal effort on the remaining six certified dyes runs on voluntary company commitments.
| Date | Action | Dyes or colors | Binding or voluntary | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 15, 2025 | Order revoking authorization under the Delaney Clause | FD&C Red No. 3 | Binding: food by January 15, 2027; ingested drugs by January 18, 2028 | FDA order via National Law Review |
| April 22, 2025 | HHS and FDA announce the phase-out of petroleum-based dyes, with a target of the end of 2026, and ask companies to remove Red No. 3 early | Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3 | Voluntary | HHS/FDA announcement; Venable |
| May 2025 | Approvals of three colors from natural sources | Galdieria extract blue, butterfly pea flower extract (expanded use), calcium phosphate | Binding approvals | Food Safety Tech |
| July 14, 2025 | Approval of gardenia (genipin) blue | Gardenia blue | Binding approval | Food Processing |
| July 14, 2025 | Letter urging food makers, including dietary supplement makers, to finish removing Red No. 3 before January 15, 2027 | FD&C Red No. 3 | Voluntary | FDA letter |
| July 22, 2025 | Consumer Brands Association urges members to stop manufacturing with certified colors by December 31, 2027; HHS and FDA praise the pledge | The six certified dyes | Voluntary | FDA news release |
| February 2026 | New approach to "no artificial colors" claims | All certified color additives | Enforcement policy | HHS press release |
| February 6, 2026 | Final orders listing beetroot red and expanding uses of spirulina extract | Beetroot red, spirulina extract | Binding approvals, later delayed | Federal Register |
| March 20, 2026 | Effective dates of both February 6 orders delayed indefinitely after objections | Beetroot red, spirulina extract | Approvals on hold | Federal Register (beetroot red); Federal Register (spirulina) |
| June 15, 2026 | DLA Piper reports FDA has revised the phase-out schedule in a direction that slows it | The six certified dyes | Voluntary | MarketScale, citing DLA Piper |
| July 23, 2026 | Final order revoking Orange B, effective September 8, 2026 | Orange B | Binding | Federal Register |
| July 23, 2026 | Proposed order to revoke Citrus Red No. 2; comments closed August 24, 2026 | Citrus Red No. 2 | Proposed | Federal Register |
| October 16, 2026 | Pledge tracker lists 32 commitments, 12 marked Complete, and a target of the end of 2027 | The six certified dyes | Voluntary | FDA pledge tracker |
- Date
- January 15, 2025
- Action
- Order revoking authorization under the Delaney Clause
- Dyes or colors
- FD&C Red No. 3
- Binding or voluntary
- Binding: food by January 15, 2027; ingested drugs by January 18, 2028
- Primary source
- FDA order via National Law Review
- Date
- April 22, 2025
- Action
- HHS and FDA announce the phase-out of petroleum-based dyes, with a target of the end of 2026, and ask companies to remove Red No. 3 early
- Dyes or colors
- Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3
- Binding or voluntary
- Voluntary
- Primary source
- HHS/FDA announcement; Venable
- Date
- May 2025
- Action
- Approvals of three colors from natural sources
- Dyes or colors
- Galdieria extract blue, butterfly pea flower extract (expanded use), calcium phosphate
- Binding or voluntary
- Binding approvals
- Primary source
- Food Safety Tech
- Date
- July 14, 2025
- Action
- Approval of gardenia (genipin) blue
- Dyes or colors
- Gardenia blue
- Binding or voluntary
- Binding approval
- Primary source
- Food Processing
- Date
- July 14, 2025
- Action
- Letter urging food makers, including dietary supplement makers, to finish removing Red No. 3 before January 15, 2027
- Dyes or colors
- FD&C Red No. 3
- Binding or voluntary
- Voluntary
- Primary source
- FDA letter
- Date
- July 22, 2025
- Action
- Consumer Brands Association urges members to stop manufacturing with certified colors by December 31, 2027; HHS and FDA praise the pledge
- Dyes or colors
- The six certified dyes
- Binding or voluntary
- Voluntary
- Primary source
- FDA news release
- Date
- February 2026
- Action
- New approach to "no artificial colors" claims
- Dyes or colors
- All certified color additives
- Binding or voluntary
- Enforcement policy
- Primary source
- HHS press release
- Date
- February 6, 2026
- Action
- Final orders listing beetroot red and expanding uses of spirulina extract
- Dyes or colors
- Beetroot red, spirulina extract
- Binding or voluntary
- Binding approvals, later delayed
- Primary source
- Federal Register
- Date
- March 20, 2026
- Action
- Effective dates of both February 6 orders delayed indefinitely after objections
- Dyes or colors
- Beetroot red, spirulina extract
- Binding or voluntary
- Approvals on hold
- Primary source
- Federal Register (beetroot red); Federal Register (spirulina)
- Date
- June 15, 2026
- Action
- DLA Piper reports FDA has revised the phase-out schedule in a direction that slows it
- Dyes or colors
- The six certified dyes
- Binding or voluntary
- Voluntary
- Primary source
- MarketScale, citing DLA Piper
- Date
- July 23, 2026
- Action
- Final order revoking Orange B, effective September 8, 2026
- Dyes or colors
- Orange B
- Binding or voluntary
- Binding
- Primary source
- Federal Register
- Date
- July 23, 2026
- Action
- Proposed order to revoke Citrus Red No. 2; comments closed August 24, 2026
- Dyes or colors
- Citrus Red No. 2
- Binding or voluntary
- Proposed
- Primary source
- Federal Register
- Date
- October 16, 2026
- Action
- Pledge tracker lists 32 commitments, 12 marked Complete, and a target of the end of 2027
- Dyes or colors
- The six certified dyes
- Binding or voluntary
- Voluntary
- Primary source
- FDA pledge tracker
Each row links to the source we checked on October 31, 2026.
What changed since the original 2026 target
Many articles and AI answers still say FDA set a target of the end of 2026 for the six certified dyes. That was the target announced on April 22, 2025 (Venable). FDA's pledge tracker, current as of October 16, 2026, now says FDA is working with industry to eliminate the six dyes by the end of 2027. In June 2026, DLA Piper reported that FDA had revised its schedule in a direction that slows the phase-out (MarketScale). For how the date moved, see end of 2026 or end of 2027?
Progress is uneven. As of October 16, 2026, the FDA pledge tracker lists 32 commitments, with 12 marked Complete.
The set of natural colors has also changed:
- Approved and usable: galdieria extract blue, expanded butterfly pea flower extract and calcium phosphate (May 2025), and gardenia (genipin) blue (July 14, 2025).
- Approved but on hold: beetroot red and the expanded uses of spirulina extract were approved on February 6, 2026, and their effective dates were delayed indefinitely as of March 20, 2026.
- Labeling: in February 2026, HHS announced a new FDA approach to "no artificial colors" claims (HHS). Confirm claims with counsel.
What the timeline means for brands and suppliers
For products containing FD&C Red No. 3, the dates are binding: January 15, 2027 for food and dietary supplements, and January 18, 2028 for ingested drugs. Orange B could no longer be used after September 8, 2026.
For the six certified dyes, the end-of-2027 date is a target, not a legal deadline. State laws can set earlier, binding dates. See state food dye laws.
Natural colors behave differently from synthetic dyes. Anthocyanins shift color as pH changes, some reds lose color under heat, and some blues fade under light. Bench test every SKU before committing to a replacement.
Check the latest dates on the Regulation hub.
Related
End of 2026 or End of 2027? Why the Food Dye Phase-Out Date Changed
HHS and FDA announced an end-of-2026 target in April 2025. FDA's tracker now says end of 2027. Neither is a legal deadline; Red No. 3 and state laws are.
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Ban vs. Voluntary Phase-Out: What FDA's Food Dye Plan Actually Requires
FDA has banned Red 3 but not the six petroleum-based dyes. For those, the binding dates come from state laws, school standards and retailers.
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What happened to Orange B and Citrus Red No. 2?
FDA revoked the listing for Orange B, effective September 8, 2026. Citrus Red No. 2 has been proposed for revocation and is still listed.
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