FDA Reviews Natural Food Colour Petitions: Gardenia Blue, Safflower & Carrot Oil | Ahmed & Co.

Natural food colour usage — FDA reviews gardenia blue, safflower extract and carrot oil petitions

Food Industry | August 2026 | 5 min read

FDA Reviews Three Natural Food Colour Petitions — What Food Manufacturers Need to Know

The U.S. FDA is currently reviewing petitions for gardenia blue, safflower extract, and carrot oil as approved natural food colours. These are petitions under review — not final approvals. Here is what the filings cover and what food companies should do next.

Key Takeaways

The FDA is reviewing three natural food colour petitions — none have been approved yet
Gardenia blue seeks broader use across confectionery, beverages, dairy, and snack foods
Safflower extract is being reconsidered after its provisional listing was removed in 1964
The carrot oil petition focuses on updating manufacturing rules, not creating a new colour
Food companies should monitor FDA decisions before making any formulation changes

Why the FDA Is Focusing on Natural Food Colours Now

In April 2025, the FDA announced it would support an industry-led transition away from petroleum-based synthetic food dyes and would accelerate its review of naturally derived colour additives. These three petitions are a direct result of that shift — filed by industry groups who want to expand the approved palette of natural food colours available in the United States.

The move reflects a broader pattern in food manufacturing. Consumers and regulators in multiple markets are pushing for cleaner labels, and food companies are responding. For food manufacturers sourcing food colours, the FDA's direction has practical implications for product development, ingredient sourcing, and labelling.

Petitions currently under FDA review

2025

Year FDA announced the shift toward natural dyes

1 ppm

Proposed arsenic limit for gardenia blue — down from 2 ppm

What the Three FDA Petitions Cover

Each petition addresses a different colour, a different set of food categories, and a different regulatory situation. Together they reflect the range of activity happening as the food industry moves toward natural colourants.

Petition 1 — Blue

Gardenia Blue: Seeking Broader Use Across More Food Categories

Filed by: The Gardenia Blue Interest Group

Gardenia (genipin) blue was approved by the FDA in 2025 for use in selected drinks and confectionery. The new petition asks the FDA to permit its use at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice in a wider range of products — including confectionery, desserts, beverages, dairy products, snack foods, and chewable tablets.

The filing also proposes tightening the arsenic specification from 2 parts per million to 1 part per million. Ingredient specifications like this define the purity and quality requirements a colour additive must meet — a stricter limit is generally a positive sign for ingredient quality.

What this means for manufacturers: If approved, gardenia blue could become a viable natural blue colour across a significantly wider range of product types. But permitted uses, labelling requirements, and specifications will only be confirmed once the FDA completes its review.

Petition 2 — Yellow / Orange

Safflower Extract: Returning After 60 Years Off the Approved List

Filed by: GNT USA

Safflower extract was provisionally listed as an exempt colour additive in 1962 — but that listing was removed just two years later in 1964. This petition is not an expansion of an existing authorisation. It is asking the FDA to reconsider safflower extract for modern food applications from the beginning.

The proposed uses include beverages, chewing gum, breakfast cereals, desserts, dairy products, candy, salad dressings, and soup broths. If approved, safflower extract could offer manufacturers a plant-based option for yellow, orange, or warm-toned product applications.

What this means for manufacturers: Do not plan formulations around safflower extract yet. This is a fresh petition with a complex regulatory history. The FDA will need to evaluate it fully before any use is authorised.

Petition 3 — Orange / Yellow

Carrot Oil: Updating Manufacturing Rules, Not Adding a New Colour

Filed by: International Association of Colour Manufacturers

Carrot oil is already exempt from certification and may be used to colour foods generally at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice. This petition does not seek a new approval — it asks the FDA to update the existing rules to permit acetone as a solvent during carrot oil production.

The filing also proposes adding heavy-metal limits and including additional accepted names for carrot oil in the regulations. Clear specifications help suppliers and food manufacturers align production methods with regulatory requirements and support more consistent quality across the supply chain.

What this means for manufacturers: If you already use carrot oil, watch for the FDA's response to this petition. An updated specification could affect supplier requirements and documentation for existing formulations.

How Natural Food Colours Differ from Synthetic Dyes in Practice

Moving from a synthetic food dye to a natural colour is not a simple one-for-one swap. Natural food colours can behave very differently from synthetic dyes across a range of performance factors that matter to food manufacturers.

Shade consistency — Natural colours can shift in tone depending on pH, heat, and light exposure, making shade matching harder than with synthetic dyes.
Heat stability — Some natural colourants degrade at high processing temperatures used in baking, pasteurisation, or retort.
Shelf life and light sensitivity — Natural dyes may fade faster under light exposure, which affects packaging decisions and shelf-life claims.
Cost — Natural food colours are typically more expensive per unit than synthetic alternatives, which affects input costs and pricing.
Labelling — Natural colours may require different labelling declarations, which affects packaging design and compliance review timelines.

A successful reformulation requires more than replacing one ingredient with another. Product development teams need to evaluate natural food dyes for performance, sourcing, cost, and labelling implications before committing to a switch — regardless of what the FDA eventually approves.

What Food Companies Should Do Right Now

The FDA has not finalised any of these three petitions. Until a final rule is issued, the proposed uses are not authorised. Here is a practical approach for food manufacturers and product development teams:

Monitor the FDA's Federal Register for final actions on all three petitions before making any procurement or formulation decisions.
Begin internal performance evaluation of natural colour candidates now, so your team is ready to move quickly once approvals are confirmed.
Talk to your colour supplier about what natural options are currently available and approved, and what sourcing lead times look like for a potential transition.
Review labelling implications early — switching from a synthetic to a natural colour may require changes to ingredient declarations on pack.

The Bottom Line

The FDA is reviewing petitions for gardenia blue, safflower extract, and carrot oil — and that review reflects a clear directional shift in how the agency is approaching food colour regulation. But none of these are approved yet, and food companies should not treat the proposed uses as authorised until a final rule is in place.

What food manufacturers can do now is prepare: evaluate natural colour performance in your formulations, understand your sourcing options, and build the internal knowledge you will need to move efficiently once the FDA acts.