Dozens of ice cream manufacturers in the United States announced at an event held by the Department of Agriculture on Monday, July 14, that they will completely stop using artificial colorings by 2028. These manufacturers produce over 90% of the ice cream in the American market, with nearly all major brands participating in this transition.
The CEO of Turkey Hill Dairy and Chairman of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Ice Cream Committee, Andy Jacobs, stated during a press conference in Washington with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “Our ice cream industry has come together to drive significant change and make a commitment to removing artificial colorings.”
The association disclosed that currently 40 ice cream companies have signed agreements to fully eliminate artificial colorings by the end of 2027. The agreement outlines cooperation with dairy producers and suppliers to ensure the industry has access to an ample supply of alternative ingredients. However, the complete list of participating companies has not been made public.
According to the IDFA, these ice cream companies will remove artificial colorings such as Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from dairy-containing ice cream products, but products without dairy components are not included in this removal process.
While other colorings are currently allowed by regulatory bodies, officials hope that through voluntary compliance from businesses, these additives will be gradually phased out. Major food companies including General Mills, Kraft Heinz, J.M. Smucker, Hershey, and Nestle USA have also pledged to remove related ingredients.
Although the IDFA emphasizes the safety of these artificial colorings, ice cream manufacturers have chosen to proactively eliminate them to avoid complications with state policies and bans affecting sales.
Similarly, food and beverage manufacturers like PepsiCo, while advocating for the safety of synthetic colorings, have recommended that these colorings be removed from school food by the fall of 2026 in response to changing consumer preferences.
Present at the event were Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Secretary Kennedy welcomed the news, having proposed a plan to improve the food supply called “Make America Healthy Again” back in April to gradually phase out various artificial colorings in the United States. Kennedy believes that food colorings may be linked to the rising rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cancer, but further research is needed in the scientific community.
Kennedy stated that for the success of the “Make America Healthy Again” plan, cooperation with American farmers is crucial. The government’s responsibility is to assist in opening market channels, ensuring sufficient resources in the supply chain, and expediting the approval process for chemical-free colorings.
Currently, Kennedy and Rollins are closely collaborating in the field of food policy to push for statewide bans on providing soda-based products in food assistance programs.
Rollins remarked at the event, “We are aware that the current health conditions of Americans, especially children, are unsustainable, and American agriculture is a key factor in achieving overall national health.”
Michael Dykes, CEO of the IDFA, stated, “Today is an important day for the dairy industry and a significant moment for the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement.”
(Adapted from English-language reports by The Epoch Times and Reuters)