On Monday, Tyson Foods revealed plans to stop using synthetic food dyes in its products, following recent initiatives from the Trump administration.
During a Q2 earnings call, CEO Donnie King mentioned that the company aims to eliminate all petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of May. They confirmed this to the Daily Caller.
King noted that most of Tyson’s products already lack these dyes, and they have been working on reformulating those that do. “The vast majority of our retail branded Tyson products, including our Tyson Dino Nuggets, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Bites, and Jimmy Dean Maple Griddle cakes do not contain any of these dyes,” he said. He also added that no products provided through school nutrition programs contain artificial dyes.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, expressed support for this decision, highlighting it came just 13 days after HHS and the FDA’s announcement to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply. In a post on X, he said, “I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of Americans first. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again.”
The initiative is part of a broader effort by Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who announced a plan to ban these artificial dyes on April 21. There are concerns that synthetic food dyes may contribute to brain development issues in children and potentially increase cancer risks, as noted in a 2021 release from California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
The agency stated that certain children might be more adversely affected by synthetic dyes than others, based on studies they’ve conducted.
