According to the 2025 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Food and Health Survey, consumer confidence in U.S. food safety has hit an all-time low in the 13 years since the survey began gauging the metric. Foodborne bacteria are the number one ranked concern in 2025, and attention to food additives and ingredients is rising.
FDA and USDA are issuing a joint Request for Information (RFI) to gather information and data to help establish a federally recognized, uniform definition for ultra-processed foods.
FDA is applauding Consumer Brands Association’s (CBA’s) voluntary commitment to encourage U.S. food producers to remove artificial colorants from foods sold in schools by the start of the 2026–2027 school year. CBA said that, while these ingredients are “safe” and “supported by scientific evidence,” the food industry “recognizes preferences are evolving.”
The Ensuring Safe and Toxic-Free Foods Act of 2025 would set stricter requirements for manufactures to decide a food ingredient is “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS). It also sets an annual quota of GRAS notices for FDA to review, and lays the groundwork for a systematic chemical reassessment process.
Following FDA’s announcement of its intent to end the use of artificial food colorants—largely by relying on voluntary action by industry—the agency has authorized a fourth petition for a naturally sourced food dye, Gardenia Blue. FDA is also reminding industry that even “natural” colorants must be approved by the agency.
Louisiana recently enacted Senate Bill 14, which HHS Secretary Kennedy called a “Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) bill,” targeting more than 40 food ingredients—such as seed oils, food colorings, sweeteners, and other additives—through product label disclosures and public school meal bans.
A wave of similar announcements has come from companies such as Nestlé USA, General Mills and The Kraft Heinz Company as the Trump Administration prioritizes phasing out synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply and scrutinizes food additives generally.
A wave of similar announcements has come from companies such as General Mills and The Kraft Heinz Company as the Trump Administration prioritizes phasing out synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply and scrutinizes food additives generally.
