Tell Congress to Pass the "Do or Dye" Act!

In response to Biden’s ban on Red No.3 and Trump’s commitment to work with industry to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes, Danone North America, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, TreeHouse Foods, and Tyson all say that they are working to remove these colorings from their foods.

This is great progress, but the lack of regulations—and no enforceable timeline—leaves us wondering if industry will keep its promise. It also leaves consumers in the dark. You can avoid food dyes by reading ingredient lists, but not when eating out, where brightly colored sugary treats and beverages tend to be consumed.

If we really want to be safe from dangerous, carcinogenic, and neurotoxic food dyes, we need Congress to act. Trump won’t do it. He says he won’t create a new food safety regulation without eliminating 10 old ones.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Pass the "Do or Dye" Act!

The “Do or Dye Act,” introduced by U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, would ban eight nasty petroleum-based dyes from food—Blue 1, Blue 2, Citrus Red 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6.

A ban on neurotoxic food dyes is long overdue! There are natural alternatives. Beets, red cabbage, and black currants make great red dyes, for instance. That’s what’s used in organic food (if it’s colored at all). But, the FDA continues to allow petroleum-derived synthetics to be used in thousands of different foods and drinks sold in the U.S., including frozen desserts, cocktail cherries, breakfast cereals, candy, sugary drinks, and cake frosting.

Red 40 isn’t allowed in foods in the U.K. or E.U. without labels warning it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." That’s after research commissioned by British food authorities in 2007 linked hyperactivity in children to mixtures of synthetic dyes. The FDA has never evaluated the science on the neurotoxic effects of Red 40.

In 2021, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment published an investigation that found the seven most widely used synthetic food dyes—Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6—can cause or exacerbate neurobehavioral problems in children. This prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, to sign a 2024 law banning these six dyes from school lunches. In 2025, West Virginia’s Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey went one further, banning the same dyes not only from school lunches, but from all food sold in the state.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Pass the "Do or Dye Act"!

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Dear [Member of Congress],

Please pass the Do or Dye Act to ban dangerous colorings from our food.

Blue 1 can cause allergic reactions, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms, cancer (it causes kidney tumors in mice), organ problems, genetic defects, and bronchial constriction. It may also contribute to fertility issues and negative effects on the central nervous system.

Blue 2 can cause cancer, hyperactivity in children, gastrointestinal issues, and allergic reactions.

Citrus Red 2 causes cancer in animal studies and behavior changes in humans, particularly those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Green 3 is associated with neurobehavioral outcomes in children, allergenicity, carcinogenicity, and hormone disruption. It is contaminated with aniline, which can cause genetic defects, cancer, and organ damage.

Orange B contains a contaminant linked to liver and bladder cancers in animals. It can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, skin reactions, hyperactivity, irritability, headaches, difficulty breathing, changes in urination, birth defects, cancer, and damage to the spleen and bile ducts.

Red 40 is linked to cancer, hyperactivity, and allergic reactions.

Yellow 5 is linked to health problems ranging from allergies to hyperactivity in kids to cancer.

Yellow 6 contributes to an array of health risks, including allergic reactions, hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, cancer, reproductive issues, and behavioral issues in kids.

None of these food dyes are necessary and they all have safe, natural alternatives.

Please pass the Do or Dye Act to get them out of our food.

Thank you.

[Your Name]

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