This time of year, we see orange foods all around us. We associate orange with autumn, and also with energy and vibrancy. Of course, we know that some of our favorite orange foods come by their color naturally (although there are some instances where might be fooled—more on that later). Other foods we know are colored somehow to appear orange. This is a little primer on the various ways that foods can acquire their orangey hue—and why those methods may impact your food selection criteria.
Natural Food Coloring
Natural substances have brought color to items since ancient times. Spices, vegetable skins, and even insects convey colors that humans admire in their foods and cosmetics. After all, who likes blah-looking food products? We like bright colors, and colors that help us associate flavors with colors (like cherry with red-colored foods).
As I explained in a previous post, Mother Nature provides us with a rainbow of colored foods. If you’re looking for orange this month (and maybe next), befriend carotenoids. Carotenoids are yellow, orange, and red plant pigments that give orange fruits and veggies their cheery colors. Beta-carotene, likely the most common, gives pumpkins and sweet potatoes their orange color. Since beta-carotene is a fat soluble compound, it’s used in foods that have a high fat content (e.g., margarine, cheese, etc).
Artificial Colors in the U.S.
Synthetic food dyes have colored food in the United States since 1850s. Back then, the colors were created from coal tar. They are now typically derived from petroleum. (The finished coloring is tested to make sure that no trace of the original petroleum is present.) Although federal oversight of coloring additives began in the 1880s, by 1900 many foods, drugs and cosmetics were artificially colored. The need for some specific regulations to protect consumer safety resulted in the 1906 Food and Drugs Act. The act prohibited using colors to conceal damage or spoilage. Unfortunately, it didn’t go far enough. The 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act added protections against misbranding, adulteration, and toxic products.
In 1950, many children became ill from eating an orange Halloween candy that contained Orange No.1, a color additive that had been approved for food. At that point, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reevaluated all color additives it had previously approved. It found several that were, in fact, dangerous; those were removed from the list. The 1960 Color Additive Amendments defined what a “color additive” was. It required that only those listed as “suitable and safe” for a specific use could be used in foods, drugs, cosmetics, or medical devices. The “Delaney Clause,” named for Representative James Delaney who pushed the investigation of additives’ carcinogenic effects, prohibited including carcinogenic colorings on the list of colors allowed for interim use.
Orange by Another Name
FD&C Yellow No. 6, also known as Sunset Yellow, is an artificial orange color. It was approved as part of the 1938 Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. It is one of only 9 synthetic food colors granted approval for widespread use in food in the US, and is typically found in candies, preserved fruits, baked goods, beverages, gelatins, and sauces. In April, 2025, the FDA announced its intention to phase out all petroleum-based food colors—including Yellow No. 6. In their place, the agency will authorize the use of additional natural color additives. This action will align US regulation on food dyes to align more closely with regulations in Europe. For example, in the UK, coloring foods with natural dyes have been encouraged for years, and foods that contain any of the allowed artificial colorings must carry a warning label.
Artificial Colors and Children’s Health
There is extensive research on artificial colors and health. Much of the safety research focuses on children’s health and behavior, and rightly so. Foods marketed toward children tend to include more food colors. In fact, a study published in 2025 found that 28% of products in the top five food and beverage categories aimed at children contain synthetic food dyes compared with 11% of products in the other categories. What’s more, children’s smaller and developing bodies and brains may be more susceptible to the cummulative effects of food colors.
The potential negative health impacts of synthetic food colors in children usually revolves around neurobehavioral effects. The specific effects documented include increased hyperactivity, reduced attention span, irritability, and sleep disturbances. A 2022 systematic review found that 64% of the studies included in the review presented some evidence of a positive association between synthetic food dye consumption and adverse behavioral outcomes in children. Children with ADHD may be especially sensitive to colors (although some studies have found behavior impacts in children without diagnosed conditions, too).
Guiding Stars & Artificial Food Colors
Taking into account the evolving science around the safety of artificial colors, as well as the fact that synthetic food dyes present no nutritional or health benefit, the Guiding Stars scientific advisory panel (SAP) decided to include a debit of one star for items containing any artificial colors in the 2018 update of the algorithm. The possible health trade-offs involved with ongoing use of artificial colors in the US food supply simply were not worth it for a category of ingredients that provides aesthetic benefits only. Guiding Stars’ decision to debit for artificial food colors is also a way for us to encourage food manufacturers to use the natural and safe food dyes that are widely available.