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FDA Proposes Ban on Orange B, a Food Dye Not Used for Decades
Federal regulators are proposing to remove another artificial dye from the U.S. food supply — Orange B, a synthetic color that hasn’t been used in the U.S. for decades.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Wednesday that it would seek to repeal the regulation allowing use of the dye approved in 1966 to color sausage casings and frankfurters. No batches of the dye have been certified, or asked to be used, since 1978, FDA officials said.
“Its use has been abandoned by industry,” the agency said in a statement. “The color additive regulation is outdated and unnecessary.” But consumer advocates who have called for tougher FDA regulation of food dyes and other additives for decades have suggested it was an empty gesture.
“It says they are currently willing to take mandatory steps only where it has no impact,” said Sarah Sorscher, who directs regulatory affairs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group. The move follows the FDA’s decision in January to ban Red No. 3 because of potential cancer risk. That dye has been used far more widely in candies, snack foods and medicines.
Tyson Foods to Stop Using Corn Syrup in Products in US
European Supermarket Magazine reported:
Tyson Foods has said that it will stop using certain ingredients, like high-fructose corn syrup, in its products by the end of 2025 in the U.S. Food companies are seeking alternative ingredients in response to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ campaign that aims to eliminate artificial dyes from packaged foods sold in the country.
Kennedy has also been critical of the amount of sugar consumed in the American diet and has said that updated dietary guidelines will advise Americans to eat “whole food”.
Coca-Cola has also decided to introduce a cane-sugar sweetened version of Coke in the U.S., after President Donald Trump pushed for a change.
Tyson Foods said on Monday it will also stop using ingredients such as sucralose, titanium dioxide and the synthetic antioxidant BHA/BHT in its brands, including Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm meat products, while noting that the ingredients being removed are FDA-approved and safe to use.
“We continuously review and assess our product portfolio to ensure the highest quality products that meet the needs of consumers,” said Donnie King, President & CEO of Tyson Foods. “Our decision to remove high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients reflects our ongoing commitment to feeding the world like family, while preserving the taste, value and integrity that define our iconic brands.”
Campbell Soup Admits to Violating Clean Water Act 5,400 Times, Polluting River
Campbell Soup Supply Company, LLC has agreed not to contest claims that its Ohio facility violated the Clean Water Act more than 5,400 times over a six and a half-year period, leading to pollution in a river that feeds into Lake Erie.
On Monday, Sept. 15, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Campbell’s, known for its array of soups, acknowledged that its plant in Napoleon, Ohio, went over discharge or waste limits imposed by the Clean Water Act. The agreement was listed in a stipulation Campbell’s filed with two environmentalist groups, Environment America and Lake Erie Waterkeeper, which sued the company in March 2024, court records obtained by USA TODAY show.
The National Environmental Law Center, which represents the groups, argues in the lawsuit that the soup manufacturer violated the Clean Water Act over 5,400 times between April 2018 and December 2024, leading to ammonia, E. coli, total residual chlorine, phosphorus, pH, oil and grease entering the waterway. The waste from the Campbell’s facility enters the Maumee River, which flows into Lake Erie, the lawyers for the environmental groups said in a Sept. 15 news release.
Plastics Found Inside Vegetable Tissues for the First Time
Plastic pollution is not only a problem for oceans and wildlife. It may also be affecting the very food we eat. A new study highlights how nanoplastics can penetrate crops, raising questions about food safety and human health.Researchers have now shown that some of the smallest plastic particles can move into edible vegetable tissues.
Using radishes as their model, the team demonstrated that nanoplastics can enter roots and travel into the fleshy edible parts. These plastic particles measure as little as one millionth of a centimetre, making them nearly invisible but not harmless. This work reveals a potential pathway for humans and animals to consume nanoplastics, beyond seafood and water sources.
The findings also call attention to an emerging food safety concern that could impact agriculture worldwide. If nanoplastics can enter vegetables during growth, then the issue extends far beyond marine ecosystems.
