The FDA is quietly steering the U.S. food system toward replacing synthetic food dyes with “natural” alternatives. At first glance, this seems like progress — cleaner labels and better public perception.

But beneath this health halo lies a serious risk: replacing domestically produced synthetic dyes with colorants sourced from geopolitically unstable or adversarial regions. This shift opens the door to new supply chain vulnerabilities and increased food fraud through Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA) – with national security implications.

Synthetic dyes are among the most well-studied and tightly regulated chemicals in the food system. They’re made in controlled environments, with consistent quality and predictable supply. Every batch is tested by the FDA.

Natural dyes, by contrast, are agricultural commodities. They’re subject to weather events, crop variability, and global politics. Cochineal (Carmine) is from crushed insects, mainly from Peru and the Canary Islands. Annatto is derived from achiote seeds in Brazil, Peru, Mexico, East Africa, and the Dominican Republic. Turmeric is largely from India, but also China, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Fiji. Paprika and chili extracts are typically sourced from India, China, Mexico, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Hungary, and Spain.

In prioritizing natural dyes, we’re walking away from reliable domestic production and toward fragmented agricultural imports from countries with volatile governments, weak oversight, or tense relations with the U.S. Why would we hand over control of a critical part of our food supply to foreign actors, some of whom are geopolitical rivals?

Food fraud isn’t theoretical, it’s already happening. Natural dyes are expensive and difficult to standardize. EMA occurs when unscrupulous producers add chemicals to mimic high quality or dilute for profit – sometimes using dangerous substances like lead salts. This isn’t hypothetical.

In 2023, U.S. children were poisoned by lead-contaminated cinnamon in applesauce pouches — cut with a cheaper, lead-laced substitute. If this can happen with a simple spice, imagine the risk with complex, multicomponent natural dyes sourced from opaque global supply chains.

Turmeric and paprika have both been targets of EMA. Indian suppliers have added lead chromate — a neurotoxin — to enhance turmeric’s color and disguise poor quality.

Yes, EMA can be tested for. But as the cinnamon incident shows, our oversight is lacking. And unlike synthetic dyes, natural dyes are not subject to batch testing by the FDA. It's impractical — especially with ongoing pushes to reduce the federal workforce — for either the FDA or Customs and Border Protection to inspect the flood of natural dyes we’ll need to import.

This policy shift isn’t based on science. There's no compelling evidence that synthetic dyes are dangerous at current exposure levels. The real driver is public perception — activist pressure and consumer demands for “clean” labels, fueled by chemophobia.

Let’s call this what it is: a backdoor policy driven by ideology, not evidence. Through Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s preference for the precautionary principle, the nanny-state is stripping away consumer choice and scientific grounding. And let’s be honest — synthetic dyes are required to be disclosed on food labels. If consumers want to avoid them, they already can.

Food safety isn’t just a public health issue — it’s a national security issue. Disrupting the supply of essential ingredients, whether through unrest, embargoes, or fraud, can ripple through the food system leading to delayed production, recalls, price spikes, and lost consumer trust.

Rather than ditch synthetic dyes, we should bolster FDA and CBP testing capabilities for lead and other adulterants—especially in natural colors and spices. We need science-based public education, not fear-mongering.

This isn’t a call to ignore legitimate food risks. But we shouldn’t trade a manageable, well-regulated system for one riddled with unknowns. Natural dyes may ease label anxiety, but they open new doors for fraud and foreign influence. Even state-sponsored actors could exploit these weak links to disrupt our food supply.

If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that resilient supply chains are vital to national security. Before we color our food with beetroot and annatto, let’s make sure we’re not painting ourselves into a dangerous corner.

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Drs. Lyle D. Burgoon and Richard Williams are both Board Members at the Center for Truth in Science, formerly with the U.S. Army and FDA, respectively.

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