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Ice cream makers representing about 90 percent of the U.S. supply of the frozen treat have pledged to remove artificial dyes from their products in less than three years, federal health officials said.
The move is the latest voluntary effort by food manufacturers to heed calls from the Trump administration to remove synthetic dyes over concerns about potential health effects. In recent weeks, companies including Nestlé, Kraft Heinz and General Mills said they would pull artificial colors from their foods, too.
“This is a renaissance moment for health in America,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference.
About 40 makers of ice cream and frozen dairy desserts said they would remove seven petroleum-based dyes from their products by 2028, according to Michael Dykes, president of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). The colors are Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. The trade group wouldn’t identify the firms, although Turkey Hill Dairy chief executive Andy Jacobs joined the gathering.
The national focus on artificial food dyes is “a good step to take,” but officials should not ignore larger known contributors to chronic disease, including the added sugars and saturated fat commonly found in ice cream, said Deanna Hoelscher, a University of Texas nutrition expert.
“Just taking out or changing the food dye source is not necessarily going to make it a healthy option,” she said. “It still is a food that should be consumed in moderation.”
However, Makary also hinted that new federal dietary guidelines, expected later this year, would challenge established links between saturated fat and heart disease, ending what he called “a 70-year demonization of natural saturated fat.”
The average American eats about 4 gallons of ice cream a year, the IDFA said.
Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies showing that they may cause some neurobehavioral problems, such as hyperactivity and attention problems, in some children.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.