Moving On from Banned Food Dyes

In the ever-changing landscape of food safety and consumer transparency, the recent actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review and, in some cases, ban synthetic food dyes are sending ripples across the food and beverage industry. This shift is prompting manufacturers to reevaluate their color formulation processes and seek cleaner, compliant alternatives that still meet consumer expectations for visual appeal.

Understanding the Impact of Food Dye Regulations

Color has always played a critical role in consumer perception of food. Bright hues in candies, beverages, snacks, and processed foods help signal freshness, flavor, and indulgence. Historically, many of these vibrant colors come from using synthetic dyes such as Red 3, Yellow 5, and Blue 1.

However, mounting evidence linking certain artificial dyes to health risks, especially in children, has led regulators to take a closer look. In 2024, the FDA moved to ban or restrict certain synthetic colorants, following similar actions in the European Union and other countries. These bans have left food manufacturers scrambling to find natural alternatives that match the same appearance, shelf life, and stability.

Switching dyes is not as simple as it sounds. Natural colorants like beet juice, turmeric, or spirulina behave differently in formulations. They can shift in hue, fade over time, or interact unpredictably with other ingredients. Ensuring visual consistency across batches becomes a significant challenge, and it’s here that Konica Minolta’s solutions become invaluable.

1. Instrumental Color Measurement for Consistency

Replacing a synthetic dye with a natural one often alters the perceived color of a product. Our spectrophotometers and colorimeters allow manufacturers to quantify and compare those color changes against defined tolerances.

Devices like the CR-400 Chroma Meter and CM-5 Spectrophotometer can:

• Measure color in CIELab (L*a*b*) or other industry-standard color spaces.
• Detect subtle color differences not visible to the naked eye.
• Evaluate color consistency between batches, suppliers, or production lines.

This objective data allows teams to reformulate confidently, knowing they can replicate color across natural ingredients and maintain brand standards.

2. Accelerating Reformulation and R&D

R&D teams play a pivotal role in responding to regulatory changes. Reformulating a food product with a new natural dye can require dozens of iterations. By integrating color measurement devices such as spectrophotometers into the R&D process, teams can rapidly test and validate new colorants with precise readings—cutting down the time and cost of reformulation.

Spectrophotmeters provide immediate feedback on whether a new formula meets target color values, helping formulators make quick, data-driven decisions.

3. Monitoring Color Stability Over Time

One of the biggest challenges with natural colorants is their sensitivity to pH, temperature, and light exposure. Over time, these factors can cause color fading or unwanted shifts that affect shelf appeal and consumer perception.

Konica Minolta’s technology can monitor color stability through accelerated aging tests. Our benchtop spectrophotometers are ideal for:

• Evaluating how a product’s color changes over time.
• Identifying stability issues early in development.
• Supporting shelf-life testing and packaging decisions.

With this data, manufacturers can make informed decisions on which natural dyes to use—and how to process or package them for the best results.

4. Ensuring Regulatory Compliance and Traceability

As food dye regulations evolve, documentation and compliance are more important than ever. Our color measurement solutions allow companies to build a digital record of color quality across production runs. This traceable data supports FDA inspections, customer audits, and internal quality programs.

Furthermore, with software integration like SpectraMagic NX2, companies can:

• Set up pass/fail tolerances.
• Track and trend color performance over time.
• Generate reports for regulatory or customer use.

Real-World Applications in the Food Industry

We’ve worked with clients across the spectrum—from multinational candy companies to regional beverage startups—who face the challenge of maintaining vibrant, appealing colors while removing synthetic dyes from their formulations.

For example:

• A confectionery brand reformulating their red gummy candies used the CM-17d handheld spectrophotometer to match the original color with a blend of beet and hibiscus extracts. The result? A clean-label product that still retains its iconic appearance.
• A yogurt manufacturer evaluating turmeric-based yellow coloring monitored light stability using the CM-5, ensuring the color held up throughout the product’s shelf life.
• A beverage brand transitioning from Blue 1 to spirulina extract used color measurement data to standardize its appearance across transparent and opaque bottles.

In each case, Konica Minolta’s tools provided the objective data and quality assurance needed to move forward confidently.

A Cleaner Future with Confidence

The food industry is in the midst of a transformation—driven by regulation, science, and consumer demand for clean and transparent information on the ingredients used in products. As companies look to phase out banned synthetic dyes, the need for accurate, objective, and efficient color control has never been greater.

If your team wants to transition away from synthetic dyes and needs help managing color quality, contact Konica Minolta Sensing Americas today. Let’s work together to ensure your products meet the highest safety, compliance, and consumer appeal standards—without losing the color that makes them shine.