A small change in labeling rules could reshape the look—and the marketing—of processed food in the United States. On February 5, 2026, the FDA said companies may use claims such as “no artificial colors” if a product contains no petroleum-based certified colors, even when it uses color additives from natural sources. Before this, such claims were generally allowed only when a food had no added color at all. On the same day, the agency also approved beetroot red and expanded the use of spirulina extract, signaling that regulators want manufacturers to switch from synthetic dyes to alternative color sources. (fda.gov)
That policy shift matters because it fits into a much larger campaign. On April 22, 2025, HHS and the FDA announced a national effort to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes, first saying they wanted industry to eliminate six widely used dyes from the food supply by the end of 2026. The FDA’s later industry tracker shows the agency now working with companies to remove those six colors—Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, and Green No. 3—by the end of 2027, while many major brands have already pledged reformulations. The same push has also sped up approval of new alternatives, including Galdieria extract blue, butterfly pea flower extract for more snack foods, and calcium phosphate. (hhs.gov)
For consumers, however, the phrase “zero artificial colors” may become more complicated, not less. Natural-source color additives still need FDA approval, and the new label does not mean a product is free of all added coloring. Critics quoted by AP argue that the wording could confuse shoppers, because foods may still contain color additives that are not petroleum-based certified dyes. At the same time, the FDA says approved color additives must meet its safety standard, while acknowledging that some children may be sensitive to certain colors. In other words, the future of processed food may be less neon-bright—but it will also depend on how honestly companies explain what “natural” really means. (fda.gov)
