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Synthetic Food Colors Found in One-Fifth of U.S. Packaged Foods

Food and Beverages

Synthetic Food Colors in 20% of U.S. Packaged Foods, Study Shows

Business Honor
26 June, 2025

One in five U.S. packaged foods contain synthetic dyes, especially in kids items, with 141% more sugar than dye-free ones.

One out of five packaged foods and beverages marketed by major U.S. food companies contains synthetic food colors, according to recent research. Showing that these pigments are now in everyday products. Red 40 is the most commonly used dye, turning up in 14% of the goods examined, according to a study released in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

More than 80% of the products sold in the United States have been examined by the researchers, who analyzed around 40,000 grocery items from the top 25 food companies. They found that foods and beverages focused on children are more likely to contain synthetic dyes. Present in about 28% of the items in kid-focused categories, such as baked products, sugary drinks, sweets, ready-to-eat meals, and cereal for breakfast. Instance, these colors were found in just 11% of products in other categories.

According to Elizabeth Dunford, a lead researcher from the Gillings Global School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, synthetic dye-containing items commonly contained 141% more sugar than dye-free ones. However, these goods tend to have lower levels of saturated fat and sodium.

This study aligns with efforts by government officials to restrict the use of synthetic food coloring. Red 40 is one of eight synthetic dyes that U.S. food would no longer contain by the end of 2026, in accordance with a promise made by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The FDA has partnered with food companies in order to get rid of the remaining dyes.

Sports drinks, concentrate-based beverages, and candies are the items that most likely contained synthetic coloring. Experts suggest warning labels or restrictions as strategies to reduce exposure to these chemicals. Also, they encourage food companies to minimize the use of synthetic colors. According to Thomas Galligan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, differences among companies show that reducing dye use is possible and could lead to better public health.