Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is leading a nationwide effort to remove artificial food dyes from ice cream, as part of his broader “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
The initiative, announced alongside the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), involves more than 40 ice cream manufacturers pledging to eliminate synthetic colors from their products by the end of 2027.
According to the IDFA, the participating companies are responsible for over 90 percent of the ice cream sold in the United States.
The agreement targets a list of synthetic dyes, including Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3—many of which are commonly found in processed foods.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary praised the shift as a major step forward for public health. “This is a Renaissance moment for health in America,” he said during the announcement.
Artificial dyes have long been used to enhance the appearance of food, but growing health concerns have led to increased scrutiny.
Red 3, for instance, has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Other dyes, such as Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40, have been associated with