U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three food colors from natural sources, after announcing last month that it would work with the food industry on a voluntary basis to phase out synthetic, petroleum-based food dyes from the U.S. food supply by the end of next year.

The color additive petitions that FDA approved today include Galdieria extract blue, a blue color derived from an algae called Galdieria sulphuraria; Butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used for bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens; and calcium phosphate, a white color.

“Today, we take a major step to Make America Healthy Again,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “For too long, our food system has relied on synthetic, petroleum-based dyes that offer no nutritional value and pose unnecessary health risks. We’re removing these dyes and approving safe, natural alternatives to protect families and support healthier choices.”

Since the announcement last month, several U.S. food manufacturers have committed to removing artificial food dyes in the agency’s set time frame, FDA reported. The list of food dyes the agency has requested food manufacturers to remove from their products includes Citrus Red No. 2, Orange B, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2.

“I’m pleased to report that promises made have been promises kept,” said FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH. “FDA staff have been moving quickly to expedite the publication of these decisions, underscoring our serious intent to transition away from petroleum-based dyes in the food supply and provide new colors from natural sources.”

Galdieria extract blue has been approved as a color additive for use in non-alcoholic beverages and beverage bases, fruit drinks, fruit smoothies, fruit juices, vegetable juices, dairy-based smoothies, milk shakes and flavored milks, yogurt drinks, milk-based meal replacement and nutritional beverages, breakfast cereal coatings, hard candy, soft candy and chewing gum, flavored frostings, ice cream and frozen dairy desserts, frozen fruits, water ices and popsicles, gelatin desserts, puddings and custards, whipped cream, yogurt, frozen, or liquid creamers, and whipped toppings. The petition for this color was submitted by a French company called Fermentalg.

Butterfly pea flower extract is already approved for use in sports drinks, fruit drinks, fruit and vegetable juices, alcoholic beverages, dairy drinks, ready-to-drink teas, nutritional beverages, gums, candy, coated nuts, ice creams, and yogurt. The petition that was approved by FDA today expands the use of this color to ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, snack mixes, hard pretzels, plain potato chips, plain corn chips, tortilla chips, and multigrain chips. It was submitted by St. Louis-based Sensient Colors LLC.

Calcium phosphate was approved for ready-to-eat chicken products, white candy melts, donut sugar, and sugar for coated candies. The petition was filed by Innophos Inc. of Cranbury, New Jersey.