The New Plan To Remove Artificial Dyes From Food Supply; What We Know About The Actual Cancer Risk

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the FDA are set to hold a press event on this matter between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

“U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary will announce the FDA’s intent to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the nation’s food supply – marking a major step forward in the Administration’s efforts to Make America Healthy Again,” the HHS states on its website.”

It’s important to understand that Red 40 (Allura Red AC), which is a synthetic dye widely used the food and drink industry, along with Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, make up a significant portion of the dyes across the U.S. These dyes, which contain benzene, a known carcinogen, are permitted at low levels but still pose a potential health risk.

Meanwhile, research published in Toxicology Reports attributes the rise in colorectal cancer in young people to Red 40 due to the dye’s presence in processed foods to color frozen treats, powder mixes, candy, jelly, sauces, and candy, among other processed foods.

The researchers say Red 40 “inflicts DNA damage, particularly in the presence of a high-fat diet, which leads to altered gut microbiota and subsequent inflammation in the distal colon…[contributing]…to the growing body of evidence illustrating Red 40’s adverse impact on colorectal carcinogenesis (colorectal cancer). ”

The researchers believe Red 40 impacts younger people more because “over 40%” of foods marketed toward children in the U.S. contain Red 40, Yellow 5, and 6 dyes.

It’s important to note that earlier this year, the FDA announced it was set to revoke authorization for the use of Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs across the nation.

“Manufacturers who use FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs will have until January 15, 2027 or January 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their products,” the FDA stated.

“Other countries still currently allow for certain uses of FD&C Red No. 3 (called erythrosine in other countries). However, foods imported to the U.S. must comply with U.S. requirements.”

Back in 2021, a California state report found that “consumption of synthetic food dyes can result in hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in some children.”

OEHHA Director Dr. Lauren Zeise stated at the time, “Evidence shows that synthetic food dyes are associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in some children. With increasing numbers of U.S. children diagnosed with behavioral disorders, this assessment can inform efforts to protect children from exposures that may exacerbate behavioral problems.”

Back in 2010, a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, titled “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks,” concluded that  nine artificial dyes approved in the U.S. were possibly carcinogenic, are not properly tested, and result in hypersensitivity reactions or behavioral problems.

Despite, these reports and the government’s upcoming plan to ban artificial dyes, it’s vital not to stress as most often cancer isn’t caused by one specific trigger, and experts have offered us insight onto this matter.

Understanding Environmental Triggers

In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Robert Wright, chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York insisted that cancer is not caused by one trigger, but it could be a combination of triggers in the environment.

“Cancer isn’t caused by one event, typically, it’s usually a series or combination of events,” Dr. Wright told SurvivorNet.

“So, it may be that you ate a lot of charred food, it may be that you’re also a smoker, it may be that you’ve inherited a genetic susceptibility to be a little bit more sensitive to those chemicals.”

The mystery of why some people will develop cancer while others do not after being exposed to the same carcinogen is still stumping researchers.

RELATED: Europe Has Banned These Cancer-Linked Food Additives; Should the U.S.?

“Most cancers are not inherited. People do have some genetic susceptibility to cancer but those genes are not working by themselves. There has to be something in the environment that triggers it,” Dr. Wright explained.

“So, if you can avoid that environmental trigger, even if you have a genetic susceptibility to cancer, you can avoid it by avoiding the environmental triggers. What we really need is research to try and understand what those environmental triggers are in people who have different sets of genes,” he added.

What happens next for the field of medicine is trying to be more precise with recommended lifestyle choices or telling people to avoid specific foods or products to greatly reduce their personal cancer risk.

“We may know that particular types of genetics actually make you at higher risk, but we don’t know why [with] two twins that have the exact same set of genes, one will get cancer and the other won’t,” he said.

“It’s the environment that’s clearly the difference in that scenario, so measuring the environment is really critical to understanding how the genetics work.”

How Can Diet Affect My Cancer Risk?

Are the Toxins in Our Environment Making Us Sick?

As we shared above, Dr. Wright explains that no one trigger causes cancer and many questions about environmental triggers are still unanswered. However we still see a number of products promoting themselves as ‘all-natural’ or ‘organic’ or ‘toxin-free’ and thereby reducing cancer risks in people who use them.

A great example is actress and cancer survivor Fran Drescher’s non-profit Cancer Schmancer, which aims to educate women about cancer prevention and early diagnosis. While the organization is commendable for trying to help women make informed decisions about their health, it also asks some of the same questions so many of us ask about what’s harmful to our health as it promotes a “Detox Your Home” initiative.

“Read labels and start getting back to a more natural life,” says Drescher told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

Drescher and Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and medical advisor to SurvivorNet, sat-down together to discuss some of the organization’s claims, which scientific data does not support.

“It’s difficult to study environmental causes,” said Dr. Yeo. However, while there are certain obvious environmental factors that are harmful like the sun and cigarette smoke she cautions against going overboard.

“I do think that many times there is hysteria around things that we have been exposed to for years that have demonstrably not caused cancer,” she said.

WATCH: Are toxins making us sick?

Recommendations for a Healthy Lifestyle: One Doctor’s Advice for Cancer Survivors

To be clear: the experts we have spoken with have all made it clear that there is no “cancer diet,” meaning there are no guidelines that are recommended for every person with cancer.

The general recommendations for a healthy lifestyle are the same whether you have cancer or not. But Dr. Ken Miller, the Director of Outpatient Oncology at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, has some guidelines for cancer survivors who are concerned about a recurrence:

1. Exercise at least two hours a week — and walking counts.
2. Eat a low-fat diet. The Women’s Intervention Nutrition Study, which looked at early stage breast cancer patients, found that a low-fat diet was associated with reduced risk for cancer recurrence, particularly in those with estrogen receptor-negative cancers. Other studies have found that foods with a high glycemic index that are digested quickly and cause a spike in blood sugar may lead to tumor growth in lung cancer patients.
3. Eat a colorful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. The American Cancer Society recommends aiming for two to three cups of vibrant vegetables and fruits each day.
4. Maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown that being obese can increase your risk for several types of cancer.

Dr. Andrea Tufano-Sugarman of NYU Langone Health explained to SurvivorNet the benefits of losing weight.

“While all cancers cannot be prevented,” she said, “losing weight is a great way to reduce one’s risk.”

Dr. Tufano-Sugarman said that this is especially true for women; they lower their risk of developing breast cancer and endometrial cancer when they lose weight and keep it of.

Even without losing weight, adopting a more nutritious diet can help.

“Food choices, independent of weight loss, may also help to reduce risk,” Dr. Tufano-Sugarman said. “Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, fish and olive oil) is associated with a decreased risk of cancer. Whereas diets rich in red meat may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal and prostate cancer.”

Additional research published in “Cancers” last year noted that “Physical activity has been shown to reduce the side effects of treatment and fatigue in cancer patients.”

“Lack of exercise actually begets fatigue,” Dr. Marleen Meyers, a medical oncologist and Director of the Cancer Survivorship Program at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation about how to deal with some of chemo’s most challenging side effects.

“So the best treatment for fatigue is exercise. And what we have to do is get people over the hump, to get initial exercise going.” Dr. Meyers treats patients with breast cancer, but she said her advice applies to many other cancers as well.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

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