New research from RTI International examines what it would take to move the U.S. food supply from synthetic food dyes to naturally sourced alternatives, finding the transition would require coordinated changes and investments across agriculture, manufacturing and supply chains.
The report, “Recoloring the U.S. Food Industry’s Future,” provides one of the first comprehensive analyses of the considerations involved in scaling naturally sourced food colors across the U.S. food system. Based on stakeholder interviews, market analysis, regulatory review and scenario modeling, it concludes that meaningful progress will depend on coordinated investment, realistic implementation timelines and a nationally consistent, science-based regulatory framework.
“This research makes clear that replacing synthetic food dyes is far more than a reformulation challenge, it’s a supply chain transformation,” said John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association, which supported the research.
“The ingredients, agricultural capacity, manufacturing systems and infrastructure needed to support this transition cannot be built overnight,” he continued. “Companies need regulatory certainty before they can make the long-term investments required to expand supply, strengthen domestic manufacturing and ensure products remain safe, affordable and available for consumers. That’s why nationally uniform, science-based food safety standards are so important.”
Key findings
- Replacing synthetic food dyes affects far more than ingredients. Reformulation can impact shelf life, product performance, packaging, storage, shipping and manufacturing processes.
- Many naturally sourced food colors depend on global supply chains. Several key ingredients are sourced primarily outside the United States, creating trade and sourcing challenges while presenting opportunities to expand domestic agriculture and processing capacity.
- Scaling supply will require significant time and investment. Farmers, ingredient suppliers and manufacturers need regulatory certainty and realistic implementation timelines before making the long-term investments needed to support product availability and affordability.
Uniform standards called critical
The report concludes that a successful transition will require coordination among policymakers, ingredient suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and agricultural stakeholders. It also finds that nationally uniform, science-based food safety standards are critical to reducing regulatory uncertainty, supporting interstate commerce, encouraging investment throughout the supply chain and avoiding a patchwork of state laws that would make the transition more difficult and more expensive.
The full report, executive summary and stakeholder briefs are available at CandyUSA.com/NaturalColors.
RTI International is an independent research institute based in North Carolina.