
US ice cream makers to scoop out synthetic dyes under RFK Jr. push
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), which includes over 40 top ice cream brands, said its members would stop using petroleum-derived synthetic colourings by the end of 2027.
These chemicals have been linked in studies to conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, and genomic disruption, yet serve no nutritional or functional purpose beyond cosmetic colouring, health advocates have long argued.
"I'm particularly happy to be here today because this is relevant to my favourite food, which is ice cream," Kennedy said at a press event, lauding the dairy industry for its actions.
"This is a great day for dairy and it's a great day for Make America Healthy Again," added the IDFA's President and CEO Michael Dykes, referencing Kennedy's MAHA slogan that is a play on President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" or MAGA.
Andy Jacobs, CEO of Turkey Hill, said many commercial ice cream manufacturers had already phased out artificial colours or were in the process of doing so.
"By taking this step now, ice cream manufacturers are ensuring that ice cream remains a special part of our lives as consumer preferences change and the nation's regulatory priorities evolve," he said.
Industry data shows Americans consume roughly 8.6kg of ice cream a year. The frozen treat contributes an estimated $12-billion to the economy and supports more than 27,000 dairy industry jobs.
In April, Kennedy announced plans to revoke authorisation for two synthetic dyes and to "work with industry" to eliminate six more -- an approach critics dismissed as too soft and overly reliant on voluntary action.
Kennedy on Monday said between "35 and 40 percent" of the food industry has now pledged to make the shift, but it was notable the ice cream makers' pledge pushes past the health secretary's original target of end-2026, giving companies an extra year to adjust their supply chains.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Cape Town woman clarifies viral sea foam video: 'I felt like a mermaid in a bubble bath'
Gerry Cupido | Published 47 minutes ago When Michelle Sky Hayward shared a video of herself having the time of her life swimming in the ocean, she had no idea it would make headlines around the world. In the now-viral clip, the Capetonian is seen frolicking in foamy waters, even blowing bubbles in what many at the time assumed was 'sewage water.' Since the video spread online, Hayward has been flooded with questions about the incident. Stunned by the reaction, she posted a follow-up video to address some of the concerns. She began by clarifying that she's not an American tourist but a local who swims in the ocean at least once a week. Naturally, people were concerned about her health. But Hayward reassured viewers she didn't get sick. 'If anything, maybe it even boosted my immune system, because I've been feeling great ever since,' she said. While she admitted the water appeared murkier than usual, she noted there was no bad smell that might have put her off swimming. She did, however, point out the unusually large amount of foam. 'Honestly, I loved the foam. I loved it! I felt like I was in a bubble bath. It was so cool. I felt like I was a mermaid in a bubble bath,' she said. The slightly warmer water made the experience even more enjoyable. 'I was having the time of my life. I spent so much time there,' she added. Though many assumed she was swimming in sewage, the City of Cape Town has dismissed those claims. 'Claims that the sea foam at Blaauwberg beach and surrounds in Cape Town is a result of sewage or pollution are incorrect,' they said in a statement. 'Water quality samples taken at Big Bay, Small Bay and Table View over the past 12 months showed excellent results.' They added that sea foam is a natural phenomenon caused by ocean activity, especially strong wave action along the city's exposed coastline. Marine scientist Dr Barry Clark explained in a separate video that the foam, along with murky water, was likely due to waves hitting kelp, breaking it down into particles that mixed with other organic material.

The Herald
6 days ago
- The Herald
Israel and US recall teams from Gaza truce talks, US says Hamas not showing good faith
Women going to fetch aid for their families on Thursday said US contractors organising distribution asked them to come to pick up goods and fired teargas and pepper spray at them. 'The Americans said 'go, go' and then said no, get back. They sprayed us with pepper spray so we went away. Five minutes later they shot teargas at us. Is this American humanitarian aid?' said Mervat al-Sakani. Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the aid organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), said a limited amount of pepper spray was used 'to prevent civilian injury due to overcrowding', adding GHF 'didn't want people to get hurt.' The spokesperson said women-only aid distribution had been 'a major success' overall. GHF, a US-and Israeli-backed organisation, began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May. The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which the GHF denied. The UN rights office said on July 15 it had recorded at least 875 killings within the preceding six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in Gaza, most of them close to GHF distribution points. Most of the deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military. The military has acknowledged civilians were harmed, saying Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with 'lessons learnt'. Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, said it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent Hamas diverting it. Israel said it has let in enough food for Gazans, and blamed the UN for being slow to deliver it. The UN said it is operating as effectively as possible under conditions imposed by Israel. The war began when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in its October 7 attacks on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities. Reuters


eNCA
21-07-2025
- eNCA
UK battles anti-vax misinformation after child's death
UK - A child's death from measles has sparked urgent calls from British public health officials to get children vaccinated, as the UK faces an onslaught of misinformation on social media, much of it from the United States. Measles is a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications. It is preventable through double MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jabs in early childhood. Health Secretary Wes Streeting on July 14 confirmed to parliament that a child had died in the UK of measles. No details have been released, but The Sunday Times and Liverpool Echo newspapers reported the child had been severely ill with measles and other serious health problems in Alder Hey hospital in the northwestern city. Anti-vaxxers quickly posted unconfirmed claims about the death on social media. One British influencer, Ellie Grey, who has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, posted a video denying the child died from measles. "Measles isn't this deadly disease... it's not dangerous," she said. Grey criticised Alder Hey for posting a video "really, really pushing and manipulating parents into getting the MMR vaccine". Her video was reposted by another British influencer, Kate Shemirani, a struck-off ex-nurse who posts health conspiracy theories. "No vaccine has ever been proven safe and no vaccine has ever been proven effective," Shemirani claimed falsely. Liverpool's public health chief Matthew Ashton attacked those "spreading misinformation and disinformation about childhood immunisations" in the Echo newspaper, saying "they need to take a very long, hard look at themselves." "For those of you that don't know, measles is a really nasty virus," he said in a video, adding that the jab is a way of "protecting yourself and your loved ones". Alder Hey said it has treated 17 children with measles since June. It posted a video in which a paediatric infectious diseases consultant, Andrew McArdle, addresses measles "myths", including that the MMR jab causes autism. This false claim comes from a debunked 1998 study by a British doctor, Andrew Wakefield, who was later struck off. But it sparked an international slump in vaccinations. - 'Lingering questions' - Benjamin Kasstan-Dabush, a medical anthropologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told AFP there are still "lingering questions around the Wakefield era". He talked to parents who had delayed vaccinating their children, finding reasons included life events and difficulty getting health appointments, but also misinformation. "We're obviously talking about a different generation of parents, who might be engaging with that Wakefield legacy through social media, through the internet, and of course through Kennedy," he said. US President Donald Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr as health secretary despite his promotion of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. Kennedy fired all 17 experts on a key vaccine advisory panel and appointed a scientist who warned against Covid jabs. In the United States, "misinformation is being produced in the highest echelons of the Trump administration", which "circulates across the internet", Kasstan-Dabush said. In a sign of how narratives spread, a Telegram group airing conspiracies called Liverpool TPR, which has around 2,000 members, regularly posts links to anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense once chaired by Kennedy. In the past few weeks the UK Health Security Agency has amplified its social media coverage on vaccinations, a spokesman said. In a video in response to the reported death, Vanessa Saliba, a consultant epidemiologist, explained the MMR jab protects others, including those "receiving treatment like chemotherapy that can weaken or wipe out their immunity". Take-up of the MMR jab needs to be 95 percent for herd immunity, according to the World Health Organisation. The UK has never hit this target. In Liverpool, uptake for both doses is only around 74 percent and below 50 percent in some areas, according to Ashton, while the UK rate is 84 percent. After Wakefield's autism claims, confirmed measles cases topped 2,000 in England and Wales in 2012 before dropping. But last year, cases soared again. The same trend is happening in other countries. Europe last year reported the highest number of cases in over 25 years; the United States has recorded its worst measles epidemic in over 30 years. Canada, which officially eradicated measles in 1998, has registered more than 3,500 cases this year. An Ontario infectious diseases doctor, Alon Vaisman, told AFP: "You're fighting against the wall of disinformation and lies."