FDA Revokes Chemical Uses in Food Coloring

The agency is removing authorization for three chemicals used in color additives and ink for fruits and vegetables, effective January 11, 2027.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Organic Food

Bold vector editorial illustration of a single stainless-steel vat holding yellow-orange liquid, with a pipe running in and a bare concrete floor beneath. — The FDA will revoke authorization for methylene chloride and two related chemicals used in fruit and vegetable marking inks and in color additive manufacturing, effective January 11, 2027. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The FDA has revoked authorization for methylene chloride as a diluent in inks used to mark fruits and vegetables, along with several related chemicals used in manufacturing annatto extract, paprika oleoresin, and turmeric oleoresin. The revocations take effect on January 11, 2027.

Why it matters

Methylene chloride has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, and the Delaney Clause requires that an ingested color additive be deemed unsafe if found to induce cancer. The agency acted on petitions from advocacy groups and from the International Association of Color Manufacturers, which reported that industry has abandoned these uses.

Both revocations take effect January 11, 2027, and the affected substances will have no remaining authorized uses as color additives or in producing color additives. The methylene chloride action responded to a petition under the Delaney Clause, while the other action responded to an industry petition reporting abandoned uses.

The players

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The federal agency responsible for regulating food additives and color additives in the United States, which issued the revocations.

Environmental Defense Fund

A national environmental advocacy organization that submitted the petition prompting the methylene chloride revocation.

International Association of Color Manufacturers

An industry trade group whose petition led to the revocation of the remaining chemical authorizations for color additive manufacturing.

The details

The methylene chloride revocation followed a petition from the Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the Center for Environmental Health, the Environmental Working Group, and an environmental health consultant. The second action, covering methylene chloride, ethylene dichloride, and trichloroethylene in manufacturing annatto extract, paprika oleoresin, and turmeric oleoresin, followed a petition from the International Association of Color Manufacturers.

January 11, 2027: Both revocations take effect.

Health Landscape

The action applies the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which bars ingested color additives found to cause cancer in humans or animals. It marks a concrete application of that cancer-based standard to chemicals used in produce ink and natural food colorings.

Consumers buying fresh produce will see fewer chemical-based markings once the revocations take effect in January 2027. Food manufacturers using the affected extracts and oleoresins will need to switch to other ingredients before the effective date.

The takeaway

Check ingredient labels on processed foods with natural colorings, since manufacturers will need to reformulate products before the January 2027 deadline.