The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final order revoking the authorized use of Orange B as a food color additive on July 22, while simultaneously proposing to revoke the authorization for Citrus Red No. 2 — a move that places two petroleum-derived synthetic dyes on track for elimination from the U.S. food supply.
The dual actions represent the agency's most concrete regulatory steps to date under its broader initiative to audit and retire outdated food additive authorizations. Orange B, historically permitted for use in frankfurter and sausage casings, loses its legal standing immediately under the final order. Citrus Red No. 2, which has been authorized for use on the skin of certain fresh oranges, now enters a proposed-revocation period during which manufacturers and other stakeholders may submit formal comments.
Regulatory Stakes
For food processors and manufacturers, the immediate practical exposure is narrow. Orange B has been largely dormant in commercial use for decades, and Citrus Red No. 2 applies to a specific, limited application in fresh citrus. However, the regulatory signal is consequential: the FDA is actively combing its color additive docket for authorizations it considers outdated or inadequately supported, and the pace of such reviews appears to be accelerating. Producers who rely on any synthetic petroleum-based dye should treat these actions as a leading indicator of broader scrutiny across the category.
The actions also arrive amid intensifying pressure on the food and beverage industry from both regulators and retail buyers to reduce or eliminate artificial colorants. Several major food manufacturers have already begun voluntary reformulations ahead of anticipated regulatory changes, and grocery and foodservice operators have increasingly listed clean-label color profiles as a sourcing requirement in supplier agreements.
Industry Implications
Natural and nature-identical color suppliers stand to benefit directly as manufacturers accelerate the transition away from synthetic petroleum-based alternatives. The global natural food colors market has been expanding at a compounded rate driven in part by regulatory risk pricing on synthetic dyes, a dynamic that FDA actions of this type tend to reinforce.
For operators in fresh produce distribution and citrus packing specifically, the proposed revocation of Citrus Red No. 2 warrants close monitoring. The comment period on the proposed rule gives industry participants an opportunity to submit data or transition-timeline arguments before any final order takes effect. Supply chain teams sourcing colored fresh citrus should begin contingency planning now, particularly if current supplier specs reference the dye.
The FDA's actions align with a wider federal review of food additive safety standards that has drawn attention across the food manufacturing sector. Regulatory counsel and product development teams at companies with petroleum-based colorants anywhere in their formulation portfolios should conduct a forward-looking audit of their additive authorizations against the FDA's evolving review list.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
