Dyes and additives
Natural food colors and the new FDA approvals
As manufacturers drop synthetic dyes, they turn to colors from plants, algae and minerals. In US law these are "exempt from certification", and each still needs an FDA listing for its use.
Check an ingredient list against federal and state rules
Tracked dyes and additives found
None of the 14 we track
A list can say "artificial color" or "color added" without naming the dye: only the label's own words are read. Legal status only, not health advice.
A color from a natural source is not automatically allowed in food. Under US law it is a color additive "exempt from certification", which means the FDA does not test each batch, but the color still needs a listing in 21 CFR part 73 for the specific use. Long-standing listings include beet juice and dehydrated beets, annatto, paprika and turmeric, carmine, fruit and vegetable juice, caramel and spirulina extract. Since 2025 the FDA has added several to make the move away from petroleum-based dyes easier: galdieria extract blue, an expanded use of butterfly pea flower extract and calcium phosphate, effective in June 2025, then gardenia blue, effective in August 2025. Two more orders published in February 2026, for beetroot red and a wider use of spirulina extract, had their effective dates delayed indefinitely in March 2026, so they are not in force as of November 1, 2026. None of these colors is named by the state laws tracked on this site.
How common is this ingredient in a food category?
Yogurt, milk and cheese whose label lists Red 40
1.7%
| Products listing it | 509 |
| Products in the category | 30,279 |
USDA FoodData Central, Branded Foods; labels were submitted over several years and recipes change.
Laws and FDA orders read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Approvals since 2025
| Color | Typical shade | Federal Register | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galdieria extract blue | blue | 90 FR 20104, May 12, 2025 | in force since June 2025 |
| Butterfly pea flower extract (wider use) | blue, purple | 90 FR 20101, May 12, 2025 | in force since June 2025 |
| Calcium phosphate | white | 90 FR 20097, May 12, 2025 | in force since June 2025 |
| Gardenia (genipin) blue | blue | 90 FR 31586, July 15, 2025 | in force since August 2025 |
| Beetroot red | red | order of February 2026 | effective date delayed indefinitely (91 FR 13965) |
| Spirulina extract (wider use) | blue, green | order of February 2026 | effective date delayed indefinitely (91 FR 13966) |
Which natural color replaces which dye
There is no one-for-one swap. Reds usually come from beet, carmine, purple carrot or paprika; yellows from turmeric, annatto or beta-carotene; blues from spirulina, butterfly pea, galdieria or gardenia; whites from calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate, which can stand in for titanium dioxide.
The "no artificial colors" claim
On February 5, 2026, the FDA said it would let companies claim "no artificial colors" when a product contains no petroleum-based colors, even if it contains colors from natural sources. Before, that claim was generally possible only for products with no added color at all. The claim is voluntary and the policy is one of enforcement discretion, not a new regulation.
How common is this ingredient in a food category?
Yogurt, milk and cheese whose label lists Red 40
1.7%
| Products listing it | 509 |
| Products in the category | 30,279 |
USDA FoodData Central, Branded Foods; labels were submitted over several years and recipes change.
How to spot them on a label
Natural colors may appear as "color added", "colored with", "vegetable juice (color)" or by name. The checker ignores them, because no state law tracked here names them; it reports only the 14 substances that federal orders or state laws cover. The list of certified dyes gives the names it looks for.