End of 2026 or End of 2027? Why the Food Dye Phase-Out Date Changed

FDA's current target for removing six certified food dyes is the end of 2027. Many articles and AI answers still say the end of 2026, because that was the target HHS and FDA announced in April 2025. Neither date is a legal deadline: the six-dye phase-out is voluntary. The binding dates come from FDA's revocation of FD&C Red No. 3 and from state laws.

The dates side by side

The six dyes are FD&C Red No. 40 (Red 40), FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2 and FD&C Green No. 3.

Where "end of 2026" comes from

On April 22, 2025, HHS and FDA announced a plan to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply. Law firm summaries published that week, including Venable's, reported a target of the end of 2026 for the six certified dyes. The same announcement asked companies to remove FD&C Red No. 3 sooner than its legal deadline.

That date was widely reported, and many pages written in 2025 have not been updated. Trade press repeated it in 2026: a Food Dive article published July 30, 2026 said FDA had asked industry to phase out artificial colors by the end of the year (Food Dive). In a CARL Intelligence test on October 31, 2026, 4 of 9 AI answers to questions about the federal dye timeline gave only "end of 2026."

Where "end of 2027" comes from

FDA's page tracking industry pledges, current as of October 16, 2026, says FDA is working with industry to eliminate the six certified color additives by the end of 2027 (FDA pledge tracker). The tracker lists 32 commitments, with 12 marked Complete.

Industry dates had already moved toward 2027. On July 22, 2025, the Consumer Brands Association urged its members to stop manufacturing with certified color additives by December 31, 2027, and HHS and FDA publicly praised the pledge (FDA news release). Several company pledges on FDA's tracker also name 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, June 17, 2026).

Binding vs. voluntary

The end-of-2027 date is a target. FDA has not revoked the listings for the six certified dyes, so federal law does not prohibit their use after that date.

These dates are binding:

A federal court preliminarily enjoined enforcement of Texas SB 25 on February 11, 2026 against four trade associations and their members; the appeal is pending. FDA has also proposed revoking Citrus Red No. 2 (Federal Register). See every enacted state law and its status in state food dye laws.

What manufacturers should check

1. Red No. 3 first. Any food or dietary supplement SKU containing Red 3 must be reformulated by January 15, 2027.
2. State dates next. Check each state you sell into. Some state laws reach the six dyes before or apart from the federal target.
3. Customer requirements. Retailers, distributors and school buyers may set earlier dates than FDA.
4. Supplier statements. When a supplier, consultant or AI tool gives you a federal deadline, ask which source and date it relies on.
5. The date on the source. Check when a page was last updated. FDA's tracker shows its own "content current as of" date.

For the full record of FDA actions, see the food dye timeline.

Run the free audit to see which of your ingredients are affected and which dates apply.