Tyson Foods Removing Synthetic Dyes By End of May

Major food producers such as Tyson Foods and PepsiCo are voluntarily eliminating petroleum-based synthetic dyes from their products ahead of a government mandate, with Tyson committing to complete the transition by the end of May 2025.

Quick Takes

Tyson Foods will eliminate all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from its products by the end of May 2025, a year ahead of FDA requirements.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced plans to phase out artificial dyes from the nation’s food supply.
PepsiCo has also joined the movement to remove synthetic dyes from its Lay’s and Tostitos snack products.
Most Tyson retail products, including chicken nuggets, are already free from these controversial dyes.
The FDA plans to authorize four new natural food dyes to replace petroleum-based alternatives.

Tyson Foods Takes Early Action on Synthetic Dyes

Tyson Foods is getting ahead of federal mandates by announcing plans to eliminate all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from its products by the end of May 2025. The announcement came from Donnie King, president and CEO of Tyson Foods, during a recent earnings call. This move places Tyson more than a year ahead of the FDA’s timeline, which has mandated the removal of six synthetic dyes from the food supply by the end of 2026.

King emphasized that Tyson has already made significant progress in removing these controversial ingredients. “As a recognized leader in protein, none of the products Tyson Foods offers through our school nutrition programs include petroleum-based synthetic dyes as ingredients,” said King. The CEO further noted that most of the company’s retail products are already compliant with the upcoming standards, but that the company has been proactively reformulating those few products” that have yet to comply.

Food maker eliminating synthetic dyes from ingredients by end of May https://t.co/2d3z3s2nDT

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RFK Jr. Leads Government Push Against Artificial Dyes

The reveal by Tyson shortly after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the government’s initiative to phase out artificial dyes from the nation’s food supply. Kennedy has been vocal about his concerns regarding these ingredients, arguing that they may be linked to behavioral problems in children and other health issues. This represents one of his first major policy initiatives since taking office.

Currently, nine out of 36 FDA-approved food dyes are artificial and petroleum-based. The FDA has already banned Red No. 3 in January due to cancer risk concerns and plans to have companies remove it by 2027. The agency is also working to revoke approval for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B in the coming months. To ease the transition, the FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has suggested natural alternatives: “For companies that are currently using petroleum-based red dye, try watermelon juice or beet juice.”

Industry-Wide Movement Gaining Momentum

Tyson Foods isn’t alone in this transition. PepsiCo announced plans to remove artificial colors from its snack foods by the end of the year. This follows earlier moves by companies like Kraft and Nestlé, which had already eliminated artificial dyes from many of their offerings in response to consumer demand for cleaner ingredients.

The transition to natural dyes is expected to face some resistance within the food industry, particularly due to concerns about color consistency, stability, and cost. However, similar changes have already been successfully implemented in other countries, suggesting that American food manufacturers can adapt. Some states, including West Virginia and California, had already begun taking steps to ban certain artificial dyes even before the federal initiative was announced.

Natural Alternatives on the Horizon

As part of the transition plan, the FDA has announced that it will soon authorize four new natural food dyes. These natural alternatives are expected to help food manufacturers maintain product appearance without relying on petroleum-based synthetic ingredients. The FDA is also working with food companies to develop guidance on implementing these changes. While the Consumer Brands Association argues that all current ingredients in the US food supply are safe, some, like Marion Nestle of New York University, have suggested these ingredients should have been removed long ago.

Tyson’s King highlighted that most of the company’s retail-branded products, including popular items like Tyson Dino Nuggets, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Bites, and Jimmy Dean Maple Griddle Cakes, are already free from synthetic dyes. The few remaining products that still contain these ingredients are currently in the process of being reformulated to meet the company’s ahead-of-schedule commitment to eliminate all petroleum-based synthetic dyes by May 2025.