FDA took two related actions on July 23, 2026, continuing its broader effort to remove petroleum-based color additives from the U.S. food supply. The agency finalized the revocation of Orange B, used to color frankfurter and sausage casings, and proposed revoking Citrus Red No. 2, used to color the skins of mature oranges. Importers of affected products should take note of the compliance dates below.
Orange B: Final Revocation, Effective September 8, 2026
FDA issued a final order repealing the color additive listing that allowed Orange B for coloring the casings or surfaces of frankfurters and sausages (21 CFR 74.250). The agency found that Orange B has not been batch certified since 1978 and concluded that its authorized use has been abandoned.
- Effective date: September 8, 2026.
- Objections and hearing requests are due by August 24, 2026.
- Once the order takes effect, any existing certificates for Orange B batches will cease to be effective, and any use of Orange B in food after that date will render the food adulterated.
Citrus Red No. 2: Proposed Revocation, Comments Due August 24, 2026
FDA also proposed repealing the color additive listing that allows Citrus Red No. 2 for coloring the skins of mature oranges (21 CFR 74.302), citing an absence of batch certification requests since 2020.
- Comments on the proposed order are due by August 24, 2026.
- If finalized, FDA proposes an effective date 90 days after publication of the final order, with a compliance period of one year after that to allow the industry to deplete any existing certified batches.
- This is a proposed rule only; no final action or firm compliance date has been set yet.
Part of a Broader Dye Phase-Out
Both actions fit within a larger initiative HHS and FDA announced in April 2025 to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the American food supply. FDA is working with manufacturers, retailers, and trade associations to eliminate six remaining certified color additives, FD&C Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2, by the end of 2027. FD&C Red No. 3 was revoked earlier in the initiative.
FDA maintains a public tracker of industry commitments. Companies including Nestlé USA, PepsiCo, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Mars, Conagra, and Walmart have pledged timelines ranging from 2026 to 2027 for removing certified colors from their U.S. portfolios, with earlier deadlines frequently tied to products sold into K-12 school meal programs beginning the 2026-2027 school year.
What Importers Should Do Now
- If you import frankfurters, sausages, or casings colored with Orange B, confirm alternative coloring or reformulation is in place well ahead of the September 8, 2026 effective date.
- If you import mature oranges colored with Citrus Red No. 2, monitor the docket for the final rule and anticipated compliance period, and consider submitting comments by August 24, 2026 if the proposed timeline affects your supply chain.
- Review private-label or co-manufactured food and beverage products for any of the six FD&C colors still under phase-out, since major retail and brand customers are setting their own compliance deadlines that may arrive earlier than FDA’s regulatory ones.
- Build additive reformulation status into supplier qualification and documentation reviews to avoid last-minute adulteration issues at the border.
Questions about how these color additive changes affect your imported food products?
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References
- Federal Register: Revocation of the Color Additive Listing for Use of Orange B on Casings or Surfaces of Frankfurters and Sausages
- Federal Register: Proposal To Revoke the Color Additive Listing for Use of Citrus Red No. 2 on the Skins of Mature Oranges
- FDA: Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum-Based Food Dyes
