The FDA is revoking the authorization of certain substances used as additives in the production of color additives used in foods.
With the revocations, the substances have no remaining uses as color additives in food or in the production of other color additives, according to the announcement from the Food and Drug Administration.
It was unclear in the announcement whether the revocations are part of an initiative by Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove all color chemical additives from food.
The first revocation pertains to the use of methylene chloride as a diluent in inks for marking fruit and vegetables. A number of consumer groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund, the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the Center for Environmental Health, and the Environmental Working Group petitioned the FDA to revoke the authorization.
The second revocation pertains to the use of methylene chloride, ethylene dichloride, and trichloroethylene in the manufacture of the following color additives: annatto extract, paprika oleoresin, and turmeric oleoresin. A petition from the International Association of Color Manufacturers urged the FDA to revoke the permission for use of the substances.
The petitions requested revocation on the basis of the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act. Under the Delaney Clause, a color additive that is ingested must be deemed unsafe if that substance has been found to induce cancer in humans or animals.
Methylene chloride has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
The revocations go into effect on Jan. 11, 2027.
