F.D.A. Revokes Orange B Authorization for Food Use

The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it is moving to remove two old authorizations for petroleum-based color additives in food, taking one final step on Orange B and opening a new comment period on Citrus Red No. 2.

The agency issued a final order revoking the authorized use of Orange B as a food color additive. It also proposed revoking the authorized use of Citrus Red No. 2, saying it has tentatively concluded that the additive’s use has been abandoned by industry. Citrus Red No. 2 has been allowed since 1959 for coloring the skins of mature oranges.

The actions were announced as part of the administration’s broader push to phase out petroleum-based color additives from the U.S. food supply and to update regulations that federal officials say no longer match current manufacturing practices or marketplace conditions.

“The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to strengthen the safety of America’s food supply,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in the announcement. He said the effort is aimed at eliminating outdated authorizations for petroleum-based color additives that are no longer used.

Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said the agency was trying to keep a science-based regulatory framework aligned with current industry practices. In the FDA’s statement, he said removing outdated and unnecessary authorizations would help keep regulations effective and transparent.

For Orange B, the FDA said it reviewed public comments on an earlier proposal and did not receive information that changed its conclusion that the additive’s authorized use had been abandoned by industry. That finding cleared the way for the final order revoking its use in food.

For Citrus Red No. 2, the process is not yet complete. The FDA is accepting public comments for 30 days, with submissions due by August 24, 2026. Comments can be filed electronically through the federal rulemaking portal under docket FDA-2026-N-6304 or mailed to the agency’s Dockets Management Staff in Rockville, Md. After reviewing those comments, the FDA will decide whether to finalize the proposed revocation.

The move is narrow in scope because both additives appear to have little or no current use, based on the agency’s description. Still, it matters beyond packaged foods because color additive rules can affect beverage makers that use tinted ingredients or rely on colorants in finished products. For producers of wine, beer, spirits and other drinks, even limited regulatory changes can lead to compliance reviews and, in some cases, reformulation if any affected coloring agents remain in use somewhere in supply chains.

The FDA framed Wednesday’s action as part of a larger review of color additive rules that it considers outdated. The agency said it is also tracking voluntary commitments by manufacturers, retailers and trade groups to remove petroleum-based food dyes and shift to alternative color sources.

That broader campaign reflects a regulatory strategy that combines formal rulemaking with pressure on industry to move away from synthetic dyes derived from petroleum. In this case, however, the FDA emphasized that its immediate legal action concerns authorizations it believes are no longer relevant because industry has stopped using them.

The agency did not announce any new restrictions Wednesday on widely used food dyes beyond those two authorizations. Instead, it presented the Orange B revocation and the Citrus Red No. 2 proposal as another step in updating federal rules to reflect what companies are actually using in the market today.

The FDA, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, oversees food safety along with drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, dietary supplements and tobacco products. Its announcement signals that color additive regulation remains an active area of policy as federal officials continue reviewing older approvals and pressing companies toward alternative ingredients.