The Food and Drug Administration is moving towards a ban on food dyes by the end of 2026. These dyes include:
- Citrus Red 2
- Orange B
- Red 3
- Red 40
- Yellow 5
- Yellow 6
- Blue 1
- Blue 2
McDonald’s has some work to do if the ban is enforced…
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Many restaurants and manufacturers have announced plans to remove food dyes from their products, and some are ahead of the curve and have already gone dye-free!
Where does McDonald’s fall in this lineup? We’ll reveal the surprising menu items that don’t contain dyes, and then reveal the ones that DO contain these banned ingredients.
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On McDonald’s website, they state that they avoid Red Dye #3, but don’t admit to being completely dye-free.
They seem to be making an effort, though. Their purple colored Grimace Shake reportedly contained plant-based sources from flowers and sweet potatoes…but many sources say the shake wasn’t completely dye-free. (McDonald’s doesn’t provide the ingredients since the shake is no longer available.)
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The majority of McDonald’s menu is dye-free, and it’s not that surprising. Burgers, chicken, and other main menu items don’t usually contain food dyes.
Some of the drinks and desserts look like they might contain dyes, but you might be surprised to learn that they don’t contain banned dyes!
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Some types of chocolate sauce used to make chocolate shakes contain added coloring from Red 40. McDonald’s chocolate shake uses fruit and vegetable juice as coloring and is dye-free.
The strawberry shake is also free of banned dyes and gets its color from strawberries as well as vegetable juice and beta carotene.
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Like the shakes, McDonald’s smoothies are colored with fruit and vegetable juice to boost their color. (A lot of the color comes from the fruit purees and fruit juice concentrates as well.)
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Sometimes fruit fillings have added dyes to enhance their color. McDonald’s Apple Pie uses beta-carotene for color and not the banned dyes.
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McDonald’s Spicy Buffalo Sauce uses beet juice for coloring, and its honey mustard dipping sauce uses turmeric and paprika extracts. None of the sauces include banned dyes, but some do contain caramel coloring (not on the list of banned dyes).
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There are a handful of menu items from McDonald’s that DO contain dyes. They are on the dessert, cafe, and drink menu.
The first one is the Shamrock Shake (a limited-time offering).
It’s not surprising that McDonald’s limited edition Shamrock Shake (a green hue) likely contains food dyes. The ingredient list is no longer available from McDonald’s but many sources say that it contained Yellow 5 and Blue 1 to achieve the green color.
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This one isn’t too surprising, either. The M&M McFlurry contains brightly-colored M&Ms, which contain several different banned dyes. (Mars hasn’t seemed too concerned about removing those dyes, either…)
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From the soft drink options, two notable drinks contain banned dyes. Fanta Orange and Hi-C Orange Lavaburst juice both contain Red 40.
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The McCafe Mocha Frappe contains Red 40, Yellow 5 in its mocha base. The good news is that the regular mocha doesn’t contain dyes, nor does the Caramel Frappe.
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Let’s look at the menu items that DO contain the banned ingredients again:
- Shamrock Shake (not verified, but likely)
- M&M McFlurry
- Certain soft drinks (Fanta and Hi-C Orange Lavaburst)
- Mocha Frappe
Do you think McDonald’s will join other companies and commit to going dye-free given the proposed food dye ban? Were you concerned about food dyes before the FDA’s proposal? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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