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Looking ahead to 2026, consumers can anticipate significant shifts in food safety regulations as outlined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency, having already made strides in 2025 by modernizing infant formula standards and eliminating certain artificial food dyes, is setting the stage for further transformative measures. These upcoming changes reflect the FDA’s commitment to enhancing the quality and safety of the American food supply by addressing chemical concerns and implementing crucial reforms.
One of the noteworthy regulatory updates for 2026 pertains to the labeling of artificial colors. The FDA has revised its guidelines to allow companies to label products as containing “no artificial colors” if they abstain from using petroleum-based dyes. This move is expected to encourage the use of naturally derived colorants, such as the newly approved ‘beetroot red’ and the expanded application of spirulina extract, both recognized for their natural origins.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., commented on this initiative, stating, “Recognizing that labeling naturally derived colors as ‘artificial’ can be misleading for consumers and a barrier for companies exploring new food coloring alternatives, we are removing this obstacle. Our goal is to simplify the process for companies to incorporate these natural colors into the foods that families consume daily.”
New Approach to “No Artificial Colors” Claims
These regulatory changes underscore the FDA’s proactive approach in fostering safer and more transparent food production practices, aligning with the broader agenda of improving public health standards across the country. As these new regulations take effect, consumers can look forward to clearer labeling and potentially healthier food choices on store shelves.
“We acknowledge that calling colors derived from natural sources ‘artificial’ might be confusing for consumers and a hindrance for companies to explore alternative food coloring options,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “We’re taking away that hindrance and making it easier for companies to use these colors in the foods our families eat every day.”
FDA Launches Assessment of BHA
The FDA just launched a comprehensive re-assessment of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a chemical preservative used in food, to review if BHA is safe under its current conditions of use in food.
“BHA has remained in the food supply for decades despite being identified by the National Toxicology Program as ‘reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen’ based on animal studies,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “This reassessment marks the end of the ‘trust us’ era in food safety. If BHA cannot meet today’s gold-standard science for its current uses, we will remove it from the food supply and continue cleaning up food chemicals—starting where children face the greatest exposure.”
Gluten Ingredient Disclosure Improvement
The FDA is tightening up the rules about food labeling related to gluten and possible cross-contamination connected to rye and barley, and oats in packaged food. “People with celiac disease or gluten sensitives have had to tiptoe around food, and are often forced to guess about their food options,” Dr. Makary says. “We encourage all stakeholders to share their experiences and data to help us develop policies that will better protect Americans and support healthy food choices.”