Are Artificial Food Dyes Hiding in the Foods You Eat?

Food dyes are in the news a lot lately.  Robert F. Kennedy wants to work with the food industry to get artificial food dyes out of our food including out of the National School Lunch Program.  My husband showed me an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, Removing Artificial Food Dyes Will Be Difficult.  Why?  Because artificial food dyes are in so many of our foods. 

•          1 in 10 foods contain artificial food dyes
•          40% of food items containing artificial food dyes contain 3 or MORE food dyes

The article notes artificial food dyes are in popular foods such as Pop-Tarts and Doritos.  And in foods that even I was unaware of.  I told my daughter that some pickles have artificial dyes.  She didn’t believe me, opened her fridge and looked at her jar of pickles.  Not one but two artificial yellow dyes in the pickles.  I pulled out our pickle relish and it had turmeric in place of yellow food dyes but then the list of ingredients had many chemicals including polysorbate 80, sodium benzoate, xanthan gum, and calcium chloride.  (See: The Hidden Health Risks of Emulsifiers in Everyday Foods )   To top it off the sweetener in the relish included high fructose corn syrup.   

Then my husband told me premade pie crusts contain artificial food dyes.  If you have ever made pie crusts, you know the ingredients are usually vegetable shortening, flour, salt and water.  Why in the world are food manufacturers adding artificial food dyes to premade pie crusts?

  What artificial food dyes are in our foods?

•        Yellow 5 and 6
•        Red 3 and Red 40
•        Green 3
•         Blue 1 and 2

What artificial food dye is the most common?

The article notes that Red 40 is in almost 39,000 foods. 

What artificial food dye has been banned in the U.S.?

On January 15, 2025 FDA banned Red No. 3 but manufacturers have a long time period in which to implement this ban.  By January 15, 2027, food manufacturers must reformulate their products.  Why the ban?  Because of health risks including potential cancer risks. 

What are manufacturers doing to remove artificial food dyes?

General Mills says 85% of its food products are free from artificial food dyes.  PepsiCo said they are working on removing artificial ingredients.  Many manufacturers are using spices like turmeric to give some foods a yellowish color.  Others use chlorophyll or matcha to make the color green, others are using beet juice for color, and annatto. 

How can you avoid artificial food colors in foods?

• Read the ingredient label.  As noted above, my daughter was surprised to find yellow dye in her pickles.  She will now look at her farmer’s market to see if they sell pickles without any artificial food dyes.  The yogurt I eat uses turmeric for coloring. 
• Eat more whole foods.  Apples, oranges, bananas and other fresh fruit and fresh vegetables are free of food dyes. 
• Choose foods without artificial dyes: About 20% of the premade pie crusts have yellow dyes but 80% don’t.  For those who like to cook or bake, making it yourself like pie crust means no artificial food dyes. 
• Choose organic: Organic is not a guarantee the food will not have artificial food dyes, but organic foods are less likely to contain artificial food dyes. 
• Choose different foods:   Instead of Doritos, choose SunChips.  Instead of SunnyD, choose 100% orange juice.  100% orange juice has no artificial dyes unlike SunnyD, or fruit drinks. 

Personal note: I do eat some foods with artificial dyes like M&M peanuts.  In Europe the M&M peanuts are made with more natural colors.  But even I was shocked at how many everyday foods have artificial dyes like pickles.  Are you a person that starts their day with SunnyD and Pop-Tarts, some Doritos for lunch, and then pickles and pie for dinner?  For some people, every meal has some artificial food dye in one or more of the foods they eat.    

In conclusion, artificial food dyes may be hiding in more food than we realize, from breakfast staples to unexpected items like pickles and pie crust.  While these additives are common, growing awareness of their potential health risks is prompting consumers and manufacturers alike to reconsider their presence in our diets.

Making informed choices, such as reading ingredient labels, opting for whole foods, or choosing products with natural coloring, can help reduce your intake of artificial dyes.  As more companies transition to natural alternatives, the journey toward dye-free options is becoming easier.  Ultimately, being mindful of what’s in your food is an empowering step toward a healthier lifestyle. 

Sources:  Removing Artificial Food Dyes Will Be Difficult , The Hidden Health Risks of Emulsifiers in Everyday Foods, pie crusts , FDA , avoid , SunChips   Image sources:  Pickles, M&Ms , Swaps