The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are eyeing the end of 2026 as the target for eliminating artificial food dyes from processed foods and drinks.
As of now, the ban is considered voluntary, unlike the ban on Red #3 that was implemented earlier this year in January (it will take effect on January 15, 2027, for food).
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
Many food and beverage manufacturers have announced their commitments to phasing out food dyes in their products. These dyes are:
- Citrus Red 2
- Orange B
- Green 3
- Red 3 (official ban already in place)
- Red 40
- Yellow 5
- Yellow 6
- Blue 1
- Blue 2
This means that restaurants sourcing ingredients from manufacturers still using dyes will be in a tricky spot. Let’s look at some of these fast food restaurants now…
Shutterstock
McDonald’s has done some good work in terms of cutting out artificial dyes in its menu. For instance, the chocolate syrup used to make chocolate milkshakes uses fruit and vegetable juices instead of Red 40, like some chocolate syrups do.
However, there is still work to be done to make the menu compliant with the proposed food dye ban.
Shutterstock
The majority of the culprits with dyes are in the dessert and beverage category:
-
- M&M McFlurry (M&Ms are packed with dyes)
- Soft drinks (Hi-C and Fanta)
- Mocha Frappe (Red 40 and Yellow 5 are in the mocha base)
Otherwise, the menu is free of banned dyes — although seasonal menu items may also contain dyes, such as the Shamrock Shake.
Shutterstock
Dairy Queen is a funny one. There aren’t any dyes in some of the menu items you’d think contain them, like the Cotton Candy Blizzard (it uses only fruit and vegetable juices for color).
It also has some Blizzards that use turmeric instead of yellow dye and red cabbage instead of red dyes, but the sprinkles used in that same Blizzard have dyes.
Shutterstock
Here are several examples of Dairy Queen menu items containing banned dyes:
- Mint Oreo Blizzard
- M&M Blizzard
- Strawberry shake/malt
- Misty Slush
- Orange Cream Shake
Shutterstock
While some foods and drinks are obvious when it comes to containing dyes, others are more of a surprise, like the bread on many of the sandwiches at Arby’s.
The Brioche buns are used in many of the burgers at Arby’s, as well as the sliders, Chicken Bacon & Swiss, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and others. And guess what? There’s more than one type of dye in the buns.
Shutterstock
Brioche buns typically contain egg in the dough, setting them apart from other types of bread.
Arby’s Brioche buns don’t have any egg in them, but they DO contain something called “egg shade color”, which contains Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40.
Pretty disappointing, I know.
Besides the buns, several of Arby’s fountain drinks contain dye (like Powerade, Fanta, and Hi-C, among others), as well as some of the shakes (chocolate and the orange cream).
Shutterstock
The majority of the menu items with banned ingredients at Taco Bell are from the drink menu. The list is quite lengthy, but includes drinks like:
- Agua Refresca drinks
- Drinks containing Rockstar (energy drink)
- Drinks with passionfruit flavor
- Drinks with lemonade (like Limonada)
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
As far as the food goes, the menu is mostly free of dyes, except for one ingredient: the Doritos taco shell. The following menu items contain the Doritos taco shell, which has Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40:
- Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch
- Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco
- Nacho Cheese Doritos® Locos Taco Supreme®
Shutterstock
There are a few sneaky dyes in the food menu as well, such as the dill pickles (contain Yellow #5), and George’s Chili (contains Yellow #5 in the seasoning). Like many other restaurants on this list, several fountain drinks also contain artificial dyes.
Shutterstock
While some companies have already taken steps towards sourcing natural colorants instead of dyes, there is plenty of work to be done all around to go artificial dye-free.
Which food item from this lineup surprised you the most for containing food dyes? (It was the Brioche buns for me.)
Share it in the comments!
Shutterstock
Leave a Comment