FDA May Outlaw Food Dyes ‘within weeks’: Bombshell Move Would Affect Candy, Soda and Cakes, Revolutionize American Diets; The Power RFK Jr. Would Have Over Food

FDA may outlaw food dyes ‘within weeks’: Bombshell move would affect candy, soda and cakes, revolutionize American diets:

The Food and Drug Administration will decide on a ban of certain food dyes in the coming weeks after receiving a petition to review the safety of Red 3, NBC News reports.

“With Red 3, we have a petition in front of us to revoke the authorization board, and we’re hopeful that in the next few weeks we’ll be acting on that petition,” Jim Jones, the deputy commissioner for human foods at the FDA, said during a Senate meeting this week, per NBC.

According to the FDA, the agency has reviewed the safety of Red 3 —which is derived from petroleum and found snacks, beverages, candy and more — in food and drugs “multiple times” since it was first approved in 1969, but the petition has requested for the additive to be reviewed once more.

“With the holiday season in full swing where sweet treats are abundant, it is frightening that this chemical remains hidden in these foods that we and our children are eating,” US Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), a ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote in a letter to the FDA.

“While food companies must ensure that the food they market is safe, they are also only required to ensure that their products meet FDA’s standards. This means that thousands of products that contain this chemical can remain on the market.”

He argued that there is “no reason” for the additive to be in food “except to entice and mislead customers” to make products appear “more appealing.”

Thomas Galligan, who works at the Center for Science in the Public Interest as a principal scientist for food additives and supplements, echoed a similar sentiment.

“These food dyes only serve one function in food, to make them look pretty so you and I want to buy it, it’s a marketing tool,” he told NBC.

While the FDA has stated that food dyes are safe and do not pose health risks, the dye was banned from topical drugs and cosmetics in 1990. --->READ MORE HERE

The Power RFK Jr. Would Have Over Food:

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sits for his confirmation hearing to potentially become the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), he will face scrutiny over his vaccine skepticism and unorthodox views on medicine. But there’s one area Kennedy may be able to find bipartisan support: food policy.

Kennedy has spoken out against the dangers of ultra-processed foods, additives, and the influence of large corporations on food production. While his anti-vaccine views have drawn widespread criticism, his stance on combating chronic disease by ridding the nation’s food supply of harmful chemicals and ingredients broadly aligns with efforts from both sides of the political aisle and has been praised by leading public health experts.

Kennedy’s nomination to run HHS would put him in a position to directly influence policies around food regulation, nutrition standards, and federal dietary guidelines. Jerold Mande, a former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) senior adviser and deputy undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture under two Democratic presidents, says there’s “remarkable, strong bipartisan concern about ultra-processed food.”

As HHS Secretary, Kennedy would oversee the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has the authority to regulate food safety and nutrition labels. One of the most significant tools Kennedy would have at his disposal, according to Mande, is HHS’ involvement in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a document that shapes federal nutrition advice. The guidelines, updated every five years, inform public health messaging as well as food assistance programs and government food purchasing. The process is political, with each administration shaping the guidelines according to its priorities. “It’s like the phases of the moon,” Mande says of the HHS role. “It's at its peak in terms of power right now. It's highly unusual that dietary guidelines would straddle two administrations like this where work would begin in one but be completed in the other.”

For Kennedy, overseeing the Dietary Guidelines process could provide a platform to push for stronger recommendations against ultra-processed foods—particularly those laden with sugar, fat, and harmful additives. He has pledged to immediately remove processed foods from school cafeterias and to strengthen efforts to combat food-related chronic diseases, an issue he believes has been neglected by both major parties. Additionally, Kennedy has been outspoken about restricting the use of pesticides and limiting seed oils like canola and sunflower, which he argues contribute to the growing health problems in America. He has also called for a ban on artificial food dyes, such as those used in Froot Loops, which he claims have adverse effects on children's health. “We need to stop feeding our children poison and start feeding them real, wholesome food again,” Kennedy posted on X on Nov. 2. --->READ MORE HERE

If you like what you see, please "Like" and/or Follow us on FACEBOOK here, GETTR here, and TWITTER here.