Algae, Flower, Mineral-Based Food Dyes Are Ok Says FDA

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three new color additives for use in food products, expanding the range of natural-source colors available to manufacturers. The newly authorized additives include:

• Galdieria extract blue, a blue pigment derived from the red algae Galdieria sulphuraria, approved for use in non-alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, candy, breakfast cereal coatings, ice cream, and frozen dairy desserts. This application was submitted by French company Fermentalg.
• Butterfly pea flower extract, a natural blue color obtained through water extraction of the plant’s dried petals. Already approved in certain products, the FDA’s May 9 ruling extends its use to ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, snack mixes, and chips. The extract can produce a spectrum of shades, from vivid blues to purples and greens.
• Calcium phosphate, which provides a white color, has been approved for use in ready-to-eat chicken products, white candy melts, doughnut sugar, and sugar coatings for candy.

Following the announcement, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary reiterated the agency’s broader goal to phase out synthetic food dyes. They emphasized plans to revoke authorizations for certain artificial additives and collaborate with industry leaders to voluntarily remove others.

“For too long, our food system has relied on synthetic, petroleum-based dyes that offer no nutritional value and pose unnecessary health risks,” Kennedy stated.