The FDA revoked authorization for FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, with food manufacturers given until January 2027 to reformulate. HHS and FDA have also encouraged broader removal of petroleum-based synthetic dyes, and FDA has tracked industry pledges to remove certified color additives, including commitments related to school meals. Several states have also debated or passed school-food restrictions on synthetic dyes and other additives. The debate is whether schools should move faster than federal rules, whether bans should cover all school food or only meals, and whether compliance costs could make school food harder to provide. Parents want school food to be safe and simple, but schools also need rules they can actually follow without raising costs.
How should schools handle synthetic food dyes in meals and snacks?