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HR5027FEDERALin_committee

High Impact

Ban Harmful Food Dyes Act (H.R. 5027)

Original title: Ban Harmful Food Dyes Act

August 22, 2025

food safety public health food additives FDA regulation

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Where This Stands

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.Aug 22, 2025

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

If enacted, food manufacturers would be required to reformulate products containing these ten specific additives by January 1, 2027, or face federal penalties for selling food.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Food manufacturers

Companies would be required to remove or replace the listed additives in their products by the 2027 deadline.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The agency would be responsible for enforcing the new classification of these additives as unsafe.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill proposes a federal ban on the use of ten specific synthetic food dyes and s in food products. If passed, food containing these substances would be legally classified as '' and prohibited from sale starting January 1, 2027.

Key Facts

The bill mandates that ten specific color additives be deemed unsafe for use in food effective January 1, 2027.
Food containing these additives will be legally classified as 'adulterated' under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The list of banned additives includes: Red No. 40, Red No. 3, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Orange B, Citrus Red 2, and Titanium Dioxide.
The ban also applies to any additive deemed 'substantially similar' to the ten listed substances.
The bill overrides existing FDA listings and certifications for these specific additives.
The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on August 22, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which food dyes would be banned under this law?

The bill lists Red No. 40, Red No. 3, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Orange B, Citrus Red 2, and Titanium Dioxide.

When would this ban take effect?

The provisions of the bill would become effective on January 1, 2027.

What happens if a food product contains these dyes after the deadline?

The food would be considered '' under federal law, which generally prohibits the distribution or sale of such products.

Why It Matters

If enacted, food manufacturers would be required to reformulate products containing these ten specific additives by January 1, 2027, or face federal penalties for selling food.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Broadening of Regulatory Scope

The bill includes a catch-all provision for 'substantially similar' additives, which could expand the impact of the law beyond the ten specifically named chemicals.

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

Connected Entities

otherFederal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act“The existing federal law that this bill seeks to amend.”Map →

organizationCommittee on Energy and Commerce“The House committee to which the bill was referred for review.”Map →

personMs. Meng“Member of the House of Representatives who introduced the bill.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy60
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz40
Current news / social attention level

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