Only 2 of the top 10 sodas have banned ingredients (Can you guess which ones?)

Sodas are delicious, but they can be a guilty pleasure … “fridge cigarettes” anyone?

We can all debate whether sugar and/or corn syrup is preferable to the chemicals in diet sodas.

But what’s been in the news in recent months is U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s focus on eliminating artificial dyes in food and drink, including sodas.

Only Red 3 (erythrosine) has been banned (back in January, but it could take years to fully implement) but the FDA’s goal is to have companies voluntarily phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of 2026.

Let’s see which super-popular sodas have work to do…and which don’t…

10: Canada Dry Ginger Ale

Canada Dry is in the clear with no targeted artificial dyes!

9: Fanta

Fanta is a little tricky with its labeling. “Sunset Yellow” is what you’ll see in the ingredients for Fanta Orange. But “Sunset Yellow” is a yummier-sounding name for Yellow 6. In Europe, it’s known as E110.

8: Diet Pepsi

Diet Pepsi has no targeted artificial dyes.

7: Coke Zero

Coke Zero is in the clear. Like the other colas on this list, Coke Zero gets its primary coloring from “Caramel Color.”

6: Mountain Dew

You probably guessed that the wild coloring of Mountain Dew isn’t entirely natural. It does have concentrated orange juice but it also has Yellow 5.

5: Diet Coke

Like Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke has no petroleum-based artificial dyes.

4: Pepsi

Pepsi doesn’t have any targeted artificial dyes.

3: Sprite

As you might expect with a clear soda, there aren’t any targeted artificial dyes in Sprite.

2: Dr Pepper

Dr Pepper doesn’t have any targeted artificial dyes. Maybe surprisingly, even Dr Pepper Cherry Crush Zero Sugar is good in this regard.

1: Coca-Cola Classic

As you may have guessed given the other colas on this list, Coke is free of targeted artificial dyes.

So there you go…of the top 10 sodas, only two “banned” petroleum-based artificial dyes: Fanta and Mountain Dew.

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