Food dyes ‘messing with' children's brains, FDA leader says
(NewsNation) — The things you eat now won't taste any different when petroleum-based dyes are removed from those products, DR. Marty Makary promised during an appearance Thursday on NewsNation's 'Elizabeth Vargas Reports.'
Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, joined Vargas to discuss the Trump administration's push to remove the chemicals from Americans' diets as part of its 'Make America Healthy Again' plan.
'These petroleum-based food dyes we are targeting have no taste, they have no nutritional value,' he said. 'Studies have shown that these vibrant colors that don't appear naturally in food are messing with the brains of young developing children.'
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The Trump administration is seeking to eliminate nine petroleum-based dyes in food by the end of 2026, Makary announced at a news conference Tuesday alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.
'Today, the FDA is asking food companies to substitute petrochemical dyes with natural ingredients for American children as they already do in Europe and Canada,' Makary said.
'We have a new epidemic of childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and ADHD. Given the growing concerns of doctors and parents about the potential role of petroleum-based food dyes, we should not be taking risks and do everything possible to safeguard the health of our children.'
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One of the dyes, Red No. 3, already had its authorization revoked by the FDA in January after studies showed it can cause cancer in male rats.
Makary, a British American surgeon and professor who has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, was confirmed as the 27th FDA commissioner in March.
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