Snack Prices Set to Pop Amid FDA Dye Ban
Grocery prices have been a hot topic over the last few years amid inflation and tariffs, but something else could send costs soaring.
The Food and Drug Administration's recent announcement over the ban on certain petroleum-based synthetic dyes will likely impact the prices of America's favorite snack foods. Per MarketWatch, the shift from synthetic dyes to natural dyes might add as much as 10% to manufacturing costs which is often passed onto the consumer.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on April 22 that eight artificial dyes will be removed from everything from medications to the U.S. food supply by the end of 2026. California was already leading the way after banning six dyes in public school lunches in 2024 with Virginia and West Virginia also passing similar legislation.
James Herrmann, marketing director of food colors at Sensient Technologies, told The New York Times that the time crunch could be an issue. “If everybody switches at once, there is simply not enough material around the world available to meet the demand," he explained of the manufacturing process for natural dyes which often requires more refrigeration and transportation.
The use of natural dyes is already standard in Canada and Europe, but in the U.S., a lot of the manufacturing and financial challenges still have to be figured out.
Per Newsweek, some of the impacted foods and snacks will include fruit cocktails (Red No. 3), Starburst (Red No. 40), Mountain Dew (Yellow No. 5), Lucky Charms (Yellow No. 6), Takes (Blue No. 1), Skittles (Blue No. 2), canned peas (Green No. 3), and sausage casings (Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B).