The Food and Drug Administration announced on July 14 that it approved a petition to use blue coloring derived from a plant in foods and beverages.
Regulators said they granted a petition from Gardenia Blue Interest Group to use the color gardenia blue in various foods and drinks.
“By expanding the palette of available colors derived from natural sources, food manufacturers have a variety of options available that will make it easier to end their use of petroleum-based dyes,” Dr. Marty Makary, the FDA’s commissioner, said in a statement.
“Every day, children are exposed to synthetic chemicals in food that serve no purpose and threaten their health,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in the statement. “The FDA’s approval of gardenia blue shows we’re finally putting kids first.”…