In an announcement from US health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the remaining petroleum-based food dyes are expected to be removed from the US food supply. It will bring a notable shift in the food industry, including the spaces we cover here at Stack3d. With Red #3 already on its way, two more are said to be following in the coming months, and the other six by the end of next year, which will force some in the sports nutrition, energy drink, and functional markets to reformulate.
Beyond the coloring change, Kennedy is also pushing for stricter sugar guidelines, stating that he won’t “be able to eliminate sugar, but I think what we need to do, probably, is give Americans knowledge about how much sugar is in their products.” New and improved nutrition guidelines are expected to offer a much clearer, informative message about the sugar content of certain items, specifically added sugar, making it easier to spot the good, the bad, and everything in between.
There are many brands out there that have zero added sugar as a marketing feature, whereas the promising guidelines make it sound like it’ll be obvious when a product has no added sugar, regardless of marketing, as well as obvious when it’s the other way around. Along with the change in synthetic colors, there are major moves coming from the government that’ll affect sports nutrition supplements, functional beverages, and health-focused foods and snacks, and it’s all positive.
