The MAHA campaign and the FDA’s proposed ban on food dyes (influenced by RFK Jr.) have gotten a lot of attention recently.
If you haven’t been up to speed on the food dye drama, let’s catch you up to speed.
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The Food and Drug Administration is moving towards a ban on food dyes by the end of 2026. That means that food and beverage manufacturers would need to reformulate their products to exclude the following dyes:
- Citrus Red 2
- Orange B
- Red 3
- Red 40
- Yellow 5
- Yellow 6
- Blue 1
- Blue 2
As of now, it’s considered a voluntary ban for food and drink brands. That might change as we get closer to the end of 2026, which is the target for the FDA.
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Several restaurants have announced their plans to phase out dyes in response to the FDA’s announcement. Some restaurants (like Culver’s) have started cutting back on food dyes, while other companies are already completely dye-free.
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Food dyes aren’t necessary, but they’re added simply for visual appeal. A grape-flavored drink wouldn’t be grape without being purple, right? (Read that with sarcasm.)
Chick-fil-A uses vegetable juice for coloring in some of its menu items, but it’s not completely dye-free. Some of the items where the dyes are hidden are a bit surprising – like, do you REALLY need to add it there?
Let’s look at the menu items at Chick-fil-A with banned dyes next.
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I must say, I was surprised to spot banned dyes in this one. Colored drinks and desserts are one thing, but dye in the chicken itself?!
The lone culprit is Yellow #6 in the paprika seasoning in the chicken patty.
The good news is that the yellow dye isn’t in the regular chicken sandwich, just the spicy version. This one would be an easy fix to please the FDA – Chick-fil-A just needs to use paprika without dyes, and voila!
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This one shouldn’t be too surprising since it’s the same as the chicken sandwich, but on a biscuit to make it more breakfast-y.
Paprika with its Yellow #6 is the lone culprit yet again, and is a pretty straightforward adjustment in terms of potential changes in the future to comply with the food dye ban.
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If you love the peach milkshake, don’t worry – this one is another easy fix.
The milkshake itself does NOT contain banned dyes. However, the sneaky maraschino cherry on the top contains Red #40.
Take the cherry off (or ask for it not to be included) and you have an FDA-compliant milkshake!
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You might be noticing a bit of a trend here.
The Cookies and Cream Milkshake is served with – you guessed it – a maraschino cherry. Skip the cherry it comes with (which contains Red #40) and you’re good to go.
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Some chocolate syrups and sauces use red #40 to add color, but Chick-fil-A isn’t one of them.
Once again, the culprit is Red #40 in the maraschino cherry. (Real cherries aren’t that bright, so it makes sense…)
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There isn’t any added red dye for the milkshake itself. Instead, Chick-fil-A uses fruit and vegetable juice to enhance the color of the strawberries.
That dang maraschino cherry adds Red #40, though.
Dye-free maraschino cherries DO exist, so we’ll keep our eye out and see if Chick-fil-A opts for those in the future…
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Don’t worry, this is the last milkshake on the list.
Vanilla ice cream isn’t at risk of adding food dyes like some flavors of ice cream. The maraschino cherry topper again is the lone suspect for the banned dyes.
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Chick-fil-A already addressed the issue of dyes in its sauces back in 2013.
According to a piece by NBC News at the end of 2013, Chick-fil-A had already removed yellow dye from one of its soups (they now use turmeric instead – yay!), and was going dye-free for all of its sauces and dressings.
You will find ingredients like caramel color, annatto, and beet juice to add color, but none of these are on the banned list. (In fact, beet juice is a great natural alternative for Red #40 that I hope takes off with more manufacturers!)
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Overall, Chick-fil-A is doing pretty well in terms of banned dyes! If they opt for paprika without dye for their spicy chicken patties and switch to natural, dye-free maraschino cherries, they should be in good standing with the FDA ban.
What do you think of the FDA’s decision to ban dyes overall? Add your thoughts to the discussion in the comments!
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