FDA Approves Three Natural Food Dyes
Published 06 June 2025
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three natural colour additives in the wake of the US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s crackdown on petroleum-based synthetic food dyes. The dyes will offer two shades of blue and one white colouring for food and beverage products like ice cream, cereal and candy.
The dyes include galdieria extract blue, a blue colourant derived from the microalgae galdieria sulphuraria, which was approved for use in products like fruit juices and smoothies, dairy drinks, ice creams, chewing gum and cereal. Naturally occurring in highly acidic volcanic environments, galdieria is more acid-stable than spirulina. The colourant was petitioned by French industrial biotechnology company Fermentalg, which produces a version called Everzure Galdieria.
Meanwhile, butterfly pea flower extract, which is already authorised in products like sports drinks, tea and sweets, will be permitted as an additive in ready-to-eat cereal, crackers, snack mixes, hard pretzels and a range of crisp types. The dye was petitioned by American producer Sensient Food Colors. It can be used on its own to dye foods a denim blue or be blended with other natural colours to achieve shades of green and purple.
Finally, calcium phosphate was approved for use as a white dye in ready-to-eat chicken products, white candy melts, doughnut sugar and sugar for coated candies. The colourant, petitioned by US-based ingredient manufacturer Innophos, is derived by reacting phosphoric acid with calcium hydroxide from limestone.