COMPANIES CAN NOW CLAIM 'no artificial colors' IF THEY ADD PLANT-BASED COLOR TO FOOD.

The article focuses on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) updated policy allowing food companies to label products as having "no artificial colors" if they contain no petroleum-based dyes, even when natural-source dyes are present. This change aims to encourage the use of natural color additives, such as the newly approved beetroot red and expanded use of spirulina extract, while the FDA continues reviewing remaining petroleum-based dyes. Consumer Brands, a packaged foods trade group, praised the move for promoting ingredient safety and transparency, whereas the Center for Science in the Public Interest expressed concern that the labeling could mislead consumers about potentially harmful additives like titanium dioxide. The FDA acknowledges limited evidence of harm from artificial colors but notes some children may be sensitive to them.