Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has given major food companies just two years to eliminate artificial dyes like Red 40 from their products, citing serious health risks and industry double standards abroad.
Key Facts:
- On March 10, RFK Jr. met privately with executives from Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Tyson Foods, Kellogg’s, Smucker’s, and PepsiCo.
- Kennedy gave the companies two years to remove Red 40 and other artificial dyes from food sold in the U.S.
- The FDA banned Red No. 3 in January due to cancer risks, but other dyes remain widely used.
- Companies already use vegetable-based dyes in Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
- Kennedy also directed the FDA to consider eliminating the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) standard.
The Rest of the Story: Artificial Dye Ban Timeline Set by RFK
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed that he’s demanding major food brands stop using artificial dyes like Red 40 within two years.
The deadline came after a closed-door meeting with top food industry players, including PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, and General Mills.
The March 10 meeting centered around Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
In his CBS interview, Kennedy pointed to extensive evidence linking artificial food dyes to cancer, ADHD, and other neurological disorders.
He emphasized that these same companies already sell dye-free versions of their products overseas.
“They’re making the same products in this country with those dyes and then using vegetable dyes in Canada, Mexico, and Europe,” he said.
The Consumer Brands Association, which represents many of the companies, said the meeting was productive.
PepsiCo echoed this, calling the discussion “a productive first step.”
Kennedy also met separately with Tyson Foods, which is reportedly down to using one remaining artificial dye.
RFK JR: “The food companies all came and met with me two weeks ago, and they're scared of me … They said tell us what you want, we're going to do it … but stop these governors from passing these laws … banning food dyes” pic.twitter.com/imENWmncuF
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) March 28, 2025
Commentary: Why This Should Have Happened Long Ago
For decades, American families have been exposed to toxic ingredients in everyday foods while government agencies looked the other way.
Artificial dyes like Red 40 and Red No. 3 have been tied to behavioral and neurological disorders, and yet they’ve remained on grocery store shelves.
The science is not new.
What’s new is someone in Washington finally deciding to act.
If Kennedy follows through, this will be one of the most meaningful public health actions in recent memory.
Too many children have suffered from hyperactivity, learning problems, and other issues while regulators protected corporate interests.
Kennedy’s two-year timeline may seem generous, and it probably is.
But from a logistical standpoint, reformulating products across a massive food supply chain takes time.
Ingredient sourcing, label changes, and production trials don’t happen overnight.
That said, these companies already have the solutions.
They’ve been using natural dyes abroad for years.
If they can do it for Europe, they can do it for us.
American consumers deserve the same level of protection.
And the move to eliminate the GRAS standard could finally close a loophole that allowed companies to declare their own ingredients safe—without FDA review.
That system put profits ahead of health.
Scrapping it is long overdue.
The Bottom Line: What the RFK Food Dyes Crackdown Means
RFK Jr.’s two-year deadline forces Big Food to stop using harmful dyes long linked to serious health problems.
It’s a clear push to hold corporations accountable and put public health first.
The same companies already use safer alternatives overseas.
Now, American consumers may finally get the same protections.
This isn’t just about dyes—it’s about restoring integrity to a food system that’s been far too lenient for far too long.
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