More than 75% of American consumers are concerned or somewhat concerned about consuming food and beverages containing artificial dyes, according to a poll announced today.
The poll[1], made by natural colors producer Oterra, revealed that 33% of a US shoppers with at least one child feared that artificial colors were bad for them, while a further 44% were ‘Somewhat concerned’.
“The announcement in April to phase out FD&C dyes has certainly resonated with shoppers,” said Oterra’s Global Head of Marketing Vibeke Haislund on the opening day of the IFT First Expo (July 14) in Chicago.
“We have seen a growing interest in natural colors from consumers over many years and have invested heavily in the U.S. to meet the demand. The poll suggests that manufacturers taking an early decision to drop artificials will be rewarded with increased sales from a growing number of U.S. consumers who are aware of the advantages of natural colors.”
Concerning categories
Soft drinks and sodas was the category that consumers found the most worrying, with 54% expressing concern about the level of artificial colors. This was followed by Juice and juice drinks (46%), Sports drinks (44%) Confectionery and chocolate (44%) and Snacks (40%). Among the categories they were least concerned about were Soups (11%), Spreads and jams (22%) and Dairy products (24%).
The poll also showed strong awareness of media coverage of the FDA’s decision to encourage food and beverage manufacturers to drop artificial FD&C dyes in favor of natural alternatives.
“55% of those we asked said they had seen news or updates about artificial dyes in food and beverages, with a further 19% who said they might have but weren’t sure,” adds Vibeke Haislund.
Oterra is attending the IFT First Expo, organized by the Institute of Food Technologists, to meet existing and new customers to discuss how to help them remove FD&C dyes in favor of natural colors, which originate from a wide range of sources such as vegetables, fruits, spices, algae and/or other edible natural sources[2].
At the booth (S1407) visitors can see a variety of applications showing how natural colors provide vibrant, stable alternatives to FD&C colors in bakery, confectionery, beverages, baked goods and snacks.
Survey results
| Are you concerned about you or your children consuming food or beverages that contain artificial colors? | % |
| Yes, I fear it can be bad for me / us | 33% |
| I am somewhat concerned | 44% |
| I am unconcerned /I don’t think about it | 16% |
| I don’t know enough about artificial colors to say | 7% |
| Total | 100% |
| Which of the following food and beverage are you most concerned about having synthetic, artificial, petroleum based colors? | % |
| Dairy products (e.g., milk, yogurt, cheese) | 24% |
| Desserts (e.g., pudding, Jell-O, mousse) | 34% |
| Bakery products (e.g., pastries, cakes, cookies, biscuits) | 29% |
| Breakfast cereals (e.g., muesli, granola, porridge) | 33% |
| Soups (e.g., canned or instant soups) | 11% |
| Dips and sauces (e.g., salad dressings, ketchup, mustard, marinades) | 32% |
| Spreads and jams (e.g., peanut butter, fruit jam, chocolate spread) | 22% |
| Snacks (e.g., chips, crackers, popcorn) | 40% |
| Confectionery and chocolate (e.g., candies, gummy bears, toffees, chocolate bars, pralines) | 44% |
| Frozen desserts (e.g., ice cream, frozen treats) | 25% |
| Flavored water | 29% |
| Soft drinks/sodas | 54% |
| Sports drinks | 44% |
| Energy drinks | 33% |
| Juice and juice drinks | 46% |
[1] Survey for Oterra by Veylinx of 500 U.S. shoppers, July 2025
[2] NATCOL | The term natural color and categorization of food colors
