Food dye phase-out · United States
Food dye phase-out: test your reformulation before the shelf does
The food dye phase-out is two things at once: one federal ban — Red 3, out of food by January 15, 2027 — and a voluntary request to drop six more dyes by the end of 2027, with states and retailers moving earlier. Testing your dye-free version against the original tells you which change keeps your shopper before production commits.
JAN 15, 2027
is the federal deadline for Red 3 to be out of food. After that date, a product containing it is adulterated.
FDA order, January 15, 2025 (21 CFR 74.303).
6 DYES
are on the FDA's voluntary phase-out list with a target of end of 2027: Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3.
FDA / HHS announcement, April 22, 2025.
2 STATES
passed retail bans on synthetic dyes — Texas and West Virginia — and both are paused by federal courts, with appeals pending.
W.D. Tex., Feb. 11, 2026; S.D. W.Va., Dec. 23, 2025.
Where the rules stand
What is final, what is voluntary, what is paused
Red 3 — federal
Out of food by January 15, 2027, nationwide. California bans it at retail two weeks earlier, on January 1, 2027, along with three other additives.
The other six — federal
No rule, no penalty, a target of end of 2027. But large brands have announced public commitments, and school rules in several states already restrict them.
Texas and West Virginia — retail
Both states passed retail rules; both are blocked by federal courts while appeals proceed. Neither is gone. The map changes every quarter.
The FDA's front-of-package nutrition box and its definition of ultra-processed foods are proposals without a compliance date. We describe them as coming, never as due.
By dye
Test the replacement for your dye
Your current version against the dye-free one, scored across five areas.
- Red 40 The most searched dye in the U.S. — and the first one shoppers look for on a label.
- Yellow 5 Tartrazine. On the phase-out list and on state school lists.
- Yellow 6 Sunset Yellow. Out of California schools by end of 2027.
- Blue 1 Brilliant Blue. One of the 44 ingredients in the paused Texas rule.
- Blue 2 Indigo Carmine. Named in the paused West Virginia retail ban.
- Green 3 Fast Green. The agency is retiring dyes one by one.
Or test the claim for your category
"No artificial colors" changes the pack, the name and the shelf at once. Score all of it.
- Candy & Confectionery Where the color is the product.
- Snacks Pack, name and shelf change at once.
- Beverages Natural colors shift with pH; test them side by side.
- Breakfast Cereal Dyes and the 2028 "healthy" rule land together.
- Dairy & Frozen Desserts The category committed to end of 2027.
- Baked Goods Freshness cues and trust ride on color.
Frequently asked questions
What brands ask us
- Which dyes are actually banned?
- At the federal level, only Red 3 — out of food by January 15, 2027. The six others are a voluntary phase-out with an end-of-2027 target. State retail bans in Texas and West Virginia are paused in court.
- Is the front-of-package box already required?
- No. It is a proposed rule from January 2025 with no final version and no compliance date. The "healthy" claim rule is the only new federal labeling rule with a firm date: February 25, 2028.
- Does this tell me if I comply?
- No, and it is not meant to. It measures how shoppers respond to the change. Compliance is your regulatory team's call.
- How much does it cost to start?
- Start free — no credit card.
The deadline tells you when. Testing tells you which.
Upload both versions and see which change keeps your shopper.
Start free — no credit card