Overview

• Producers representing over 90% of US ice cream sales—about 40 companies—have pledged to eliminate Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 from their dairy products by 2028.
• The International Dairy Foods Association unveiled the voluntary commitment at a USDA event attended by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
• The FDA has accelerated approvals of plant-derived colorants such as gardenia (genipin) blue and formally banned Red 3 to aid manufacturers’ reformulations.
• Consumer advocates caution that without binding rules the voluntary plan lacks enforcement mechanisms and may lead to uneven compliance across companies.
• Nutrition experts note that removing synthetic dyes addresses one health concern but urge broader dietary reforms to tackle sugars, fats and overall nutritional quality.