FDA to Revoke Authorization for Mostly Obsolete Food Dye, Orange B
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving to revoke the authorization for Orange B, a color additive in food. Its only approved use was as a colorant in hot dog and sausage casings. FDA has concluded that the use of Orange B been abandoned by industry, rendering the color additive regulation outdated and unnecessary.
The action is in line with the agency’s ongoing efforts to encourage manufacturers to phase out petroleum-based, artificial dyes from their products.
FDA also recently included the remaining six petroleum-based dyes frequently used in the food supply—green 3, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1, and blue 2—on its list of chemicals prioritized for post-market safety reassessment.
In addition, the agency has posted a tracker of voluntary industry commitments to remove artificial food dyes in products sold in schools by the 2026–2027 school year.
FDA is accepting public comment for 30 days. All comments must be submitted by October 16, 2025. Comments can be submitted on regulations.gov to docket number FDA-2025-C-3543.
After reviewing public comments, the agency will determine whether to finalize the action.
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