Ice Cream Revolution: Major Brands Ditch Artificial Colors by 2028!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Dozens of U.S. ice cream producers plan to eliminate artificial colors from their products by 2028, according to a dairy industry group and government officials who announced the initiative on Monday.

These producers, which account for over 90 percent of ice cream sales in the U.S., are joining a growing list of food companies voluntarily phasing out synthetic dyes. The move follows Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s April announcement of the country’s aim to remove many artificial colorants from the food supply.

Several major food manufacturers, including General Mills, J.M. Smucker, Hershey, and Nestlé USA, have already unveiled plans to discontinue the use of synthetic food coloring.

According to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the 40 participating ice cream companies will eliminate Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from their retail products. This change does not apply to non-dairy items.

The IDFA revealed this initiative during an event at the U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters on Monday. In attendance were Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

“We recognize that our current health outcomes, particularly for our children, are unsustainable,” Rollins stated at the event. “American agriculture is key to making America healthy again,” she added, echoing a slogan associated with Kennedy.

Rollins and Kennedy have been working closely on various food sector initiatives, including efforts to encourage states to ban soda from the nation’s largest food aid program.

Kennedy has linked food dyes to increasing rates of ADHD and cancer, though many scientists argue that this area requires more extensive research.

While the IDFA maintains that artificial dyes are safe, ice cream makers are taking this step partly to avoid potential sales disruptions. These could arise from state efforts to remove dyes from school foods and West Virginia’s recent food dye ban.