RFK Jr. and ice cream makers say they're churning up healthier ice cream

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WASHINGTON − A group of ice cream makers that produce 90% of the nation’s ice cream and frozen dairy desserts are pledging to eliminate many artificial food dyes from their offerings by the end of 2027.

The announcement, less than a week before the National Ice Cream Day on July 20, was made by the International Dairy Foods Association, a trade group for dairy companies, in conjunction with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has championed the cause through his Make America Healthy Again platform.

Kennedy, who has long blamed chronic health problems, including obesity and heart disease, on the food industry, announced in April that eight artificial dyes will be phased out from medications and the nation's food supply by the end of 2026, including those found in candy, ice cream, soft drinks and jams.

The voluntary effort will eliminate the use of certified artificial colors Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6.

“I applaud the International Dairy Foods Association for stepping up to eliminate certified artificial colors,” Kennedy said in a statement to Paste BN. “The American people have made it clear − they want real food, not chemicals.”

The announcement July 14 was held outside the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and featured Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins, Food and Drug Commissioner Martin A. Makary and dairy industry leaders.

Kennedy also talked about partnering with the dairy industry to "elevate" dairy products to "improve the health of children" based on emerging science on the need for more protein and fats in American diets.

"I grew up in a world where milk was the healthiest thing that you could eat. There's been an attack on whole milk and cheese and yogurt over the past couple of decades," said Kennedy, adding that the USDA and the HHS would be releasing new dietary guidelines in the "next several months."

"There's tremendous amount of emerging science that talks about the need for more protein in our diet and more fats in our diet," he said.

Makary echoed Kennedy's sentiment.

"This is a renaissance moment in health in America," Makary said. "And part of that is rewriting the broken food and nutrition guidelines of the United States. No longer are we going to have a broken food pyramid and a continuation of a 70-year demonization of natural saturated fat."

A new blue

Makary also announced the approval of Gardenia blue, a new color additive derived from the fruit of the gardenia plant. It is the fourth natural color approved by the FDA in the past two months. The others are galdieria extract blue (from algae), calcium phosphate (a white coloring), and butterfly pea flower extract (a natural source of blue, purple and green shades).

Although there is no formal agreement or legislation banning the dyes, Kennedy has said the HHS and the FDA have a "mutual understanding" with the food industry that they will be removed.

Since Kennedy's appointment, several food companies, such as Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Nestle, Tyson Foods and  Hershey’s, have committed to removing all artificial food dyes from their food within the next couple of years.

Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, said he was "proud of ice cream makers and dairy foods companies for stepping up for American families."

The average American eats roughly 19 pounds of ice cream a year, or about 4 gallons, according to the trade group. In 2024, the United States produced 1.31 billion gallons of ice cream.

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for Paste BN. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal