(WHTM) – Dozens of ice cream manufacturers in the United States have pledged to eliminate artificial dyes from their products by the end of 2027.
On Monday, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) joined Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other national health leaders to announce the commitment to remove artificial colors.
Specifically, the IDFA said the companies that produce more than 90 percent of ice cream sold in the U.S. — or about 40 makers of ice cream and frozen dairy desserts — will remove Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from their ice cream and frozen dairy desserts.
The commitment applies to products made with real milk sold at food retail locations, not products made with non-dairy ingredients and those made in-house at local businesses.
Kennedy has targeted the use of artificial dyes in the nation’s food since taking the lead at HHS. Companies, including Kraft Heinz and Nestle, pledged earlier this year to remove artificial dyes from their products.
In place of artificial colors, manufacturers should use ones made from fruit juices, plant extracts and other sources, federal officials said.
“I applaud the International Dairy Foods Association for stepping up to eliminate certified artificial colors,” Kennedy said. “The American people have made it clear—they want real food, without chemicals. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again.”
Andy Jacobs, chair of the IDFA Ice Cream Board and CEO of Turkey Hill Dairy, Inc., based in Conestoga, Pa., joined Kennedy during the announcement on Monday.
“Today’s announcement represents a commitment by dozens of individual ice cream companies,” Jacobs said. “From small independent companies to family-owned businesses going back generations, to large multi-national companies—we have all come together in a true industry-wide effort to make these changes.”
A full list of companies participating in the initiative was not provided. A spokesperson for the IDFA said the announcement on Monday “fulfills our role as representatives of the fully dairy supply chain, including ice cream makers.’
Nexstar’s WTHM has reached out to HHS for a list of companies that have committed to the plan.
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. The Food and Drug Administration has maintained that approved dyes are safe and that “most children have no adverse effects” when consuming foods made with them.
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, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has 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.”
Makary also sent a letter to food manufacturers on Monday that “encourages” them to speed up removal of the dye known as Red 3, which was banned in January. Food makers have until 2027 to remove the dye, which was found to cause cancer in laboratory rats, but not humans.
Some food companies have said they will stop using artificial dyes, but relying on voluntary action rather than regulatory requirements won’t guarantee compliance, said Thomas Galligan, a scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group.
“Talk is cheap,” Galligan said. “It’s easy for companies to make promises to look like they’re being compliant and generate goodwill among consumers and the Trump administration, but it remains to be seen if they will actually follow through.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
