Sep 21, 2026 · Novae Supplements · 5min Reading
If you've ever drank a blue sports drink or a bag of candies, you've probably consumed artificial food dye. For years these dyes have been everywhere, but that's changing in the United States.
As these changes impact the business and customers of Novae Supplements, we're paying close attention. In this post we will walk you through what's happening, why the industry is struggling to adjust to natural blue, and what it means for the gummies you take from Novae Supplements.
What's happening in the U.S.?
On April 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA announced a plan to phase out petroleum-based food dyes. They also said they would speed up the review and approval of natural alternatives (Haynes Boone). The dyes on the list include some you have probably seen on ingredient labels: Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2 to name a few.
It's worth being precise here, because headlines often say "ban." For most of these dyes, it's not a ban yet. The FDA originally set a goal of the end of 2026, but later pushed this date to 2027. Instead of banning the dyes, it generally asked food companies to phase them out voluntarily (A. Abramson, 2026).
One dye is a true ban. The FDA revoked Red No. 3's food authorization in January 2025, and manufacturers have until January 15, 2027 to reformulate their products (S. Patel, 2026). That applies to supplements too: the FDA sent manufacturers a letter urging them to drop Red No. 3 from foods, including dietary supplements, ahead of that deadline (D. Fusaro, 2025). Since, manufacturers have been hard at work adjusting to using natural dyes in formulations previously designed using petroleum-based dyes.
Consumers are speaking their minds too, with spending trends indicating that more and more consumers are opting for natural based food products and ditching some chemical alternatives.
Why blue is the hardest colour to replace
Swapping out a red or yellow dye is challenging, but doable. Beets, turmeric, and paprika have been colouring food for a long time and are plentiful in nature. Blue is different.
Blue is rare in the natural world. Around 1 in 20 plants have blue flowers, partly because mother nature doesn't produce a true blue pigment. Plants and animals rely on tricks of light to look blue. That leaves formulators with fewer natural "blue" ingredients which actually produce a vibrant blue colour .
The main natural options each come with a catch:
Spirulina is a blue-green algae, and it's considered the closest natural match to Blue No. 1 (S. Krawiec, 2023). The problem is durability. Its blue pigment tends to degrade in acidic solutions, and it loses colour during heat processing (G.C.V. Gamage, 2023). Both of those are difficult for gummies, and sometimes result in the product taking on a green or greenish-blue shade.
Butterfly Pea Flower is better with heat and acid. But it produces more of a denim blue or purple depending on the acidity, and it can't reach the bright sky blue of Blue No. 1 (Sensient colours).
Newer options are arriving. In July 2025, the FDA approved Gardenia Blue, made from the fruit of the gardenia plant, for use in sports drinks, flavored water, fruit drinks, teas, and hard and soft candy (FDA). However, formulators are still struggling with balancing the dyes, as it is typical for natural blue dyes to require a much larger quantity of the dye when compared to concentrated petroleum dyes to achieve the same colour effect.
Said simply, it’s not as simple as changing to natural dyes.
Where Canada stands
Novae is a proud Canadian company, and in Canada the rules are different. When the U.S. banned Red No. 3, Health Canada said it would not follow unless new evidence came to light. It had concluded the dye is not a health risk to the general population (C. Szklarski, 2025). More broadly though, Canada continues to review Red No. 3.
So why are we changing anything? According to us, we think it's only a matter of time before Canada makes the switch. The U.S. and Canadian economies are linked so closely that it is typical for businesses to align on one recipe that suits both markets. We'd rather be ahead of the change while also providing a product our customers are confident in.
What we're doing at Novae
We're reworking our formulas to use natural colours before launching. Colour and flavor also go hand in hand: when a gummy looks different, you expect it to taste different. Natural dyes can also behave differently in a recipe than chemical ones. That's why we're adjusting our flavor profiles alongside our colours, so every gummy still tastes great and remains effective for supporting your training.
Consumers may notice that our end product looks slightly different than what you are used to. Possibly softer reds or less vibrant blues. However, we think this is worth it to provide an effective supplement.
Got questions? Reach out anytime. We're athletes too, and we will be happy to answer questions about how food dyes impact your sports nutrition.
