Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (United States Secretary of Health and Human Services) has gained a lot of attention for his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) campaign. One major plan of MAHA is to ban artificial dyes in processed foods and drinks by the end of 2026.
Some companies are a step ahead of RFK Jr., though – and one of them might surprise you!
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To give you a bit of background on the proposed ban, here are the food dyes the FDA is calling on food and beverage manufacturers to stop using by the end of 2026:
- Citrus Red 2
- Orange B
- Red 3
- Red 40
- Yellow 5
- Yellow 6
- Blue 1
- Blue 2
These dyes aren’t banned as of now, but that’s the FDA’s plan. Just who is the star student for already following the rules?
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Starbucks is way ahead of the curve when it comes to nixing the banned food dyes. That means that none of the food or drinks at Starbucks has a single source of artificial coloring – even the pastel-colored drinks.
It turns out the CEO of Starbucks and RFK Jr. have been talking about the MAHA goals lately…
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According to RFK Jr.’s post on X, he and Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol had a conversation, with Niccol sharing with him “the company’s plans to further MAHA its menu”.
RFK Jr. was “pleased to learn that Starbucks’ food and beverages already avoid artificial dyes, artificial flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and other additives”. One such plan is to reduce the sugar content of foods, which Starbucks recently did by removing the sugar from the matcha tea powder.
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You might be surprised that the colorful drinks and iced baked goods don’t contain food dyes. What’s used instead of food dye, then? Let’s look at some of them…
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The Iced Cherry Chai Latte combines milk with the classic Chai tea mix, cherry cold foam, and a crunchy cherry topping. This red-hued drink is colored with beetroot and carrot juices instead of banned dyes like Red 40.
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The lavender cold foam topping on the Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha is just that – lavender-colored. Starbucks uses carrot and black currant juices to give it its purple color.
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Similar to the oatmilk matcha drink, the pastel-colored Frappuccino uses carrot juice along with black currant juice in its lavender powder. The other main ingredients don’t require any added colors, such as the Frappuccino syrup, whipped cream, and vanilla syrup.
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One look at this brightly-colored drink might have you immediately thinking “food dye”. The “summer berry base” (the blue part) is colored with sweet potato and carrot juice concentrates, while the raspberry-flavored pearls at the bottom use the same sources for natural coloring.
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Red frosting = red food dye, right? Not at Starbucks! The Strawberries and Cream Cake Pop uses annatto extract, vegetable juice, and spirulina extract for natural coloring.
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The pastel pink coating of the Birthday Cake Pop doesn’t look like a color that’s found in nature, but Starbucks found a way to color it without relying on banned food dyes. Annatto extract and vegetable juice are listed as colorants for this treat.
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Starbucks has other ideas to boost the nutrition of its menu items. They’re currently testing a high-protein banana cold foam, which would provide 15-18 grams of protein. If the protein cold foam passes the testing phase, we could potentially see other flavors offered in stores.
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Here are the main points to take home:
- RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again/MAHA” campaign includes the decision to ban artificial food dyes.
- Starbucks had already gone dye-free with its entire menu before the ban was announced.
- RFK Jr. says that Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is committed to further aligning the Starbucks menu with MAHA goals.
What do you think of these changes and the MAHA campaign? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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