The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on July 22 issued a final order revoking the authorized use of Orange B as a food color additive and simultaneously proposed revoking Citrus Red No. 2, continuing the agency's campaign to eliminate petroleum-derived synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply.
For the seafood processing sector, the moves are consequential. Orange B had been one of the few color additives specifically authorized for use on the casings or surfaces of frankfurters and sausages — a niche but commercially relevant application in value-added seafood sausage products. Citrus Red No. 2, meanwhile, has been permitted for coloring the skin of oranges not intended for processing, but its proposed revocation signals a broader regulatory appetite for eliminating petroleum-based dyes wherever they appear in the food chain.
Processor Implications
Seafood manufacturers producing smoked fish, surimi-based products, and value-added shellfish items that rely on any synthetic colorant in their formulations should audit current ingredient lists against both the final Orange B order and the proposed Citrus Red No. 2 rule. While neither additive is dominant in mainstream seafood processing, their removal narrows the palette of FDA-sanctioned synthetic options available to product developers. Processors operating under aquaculture or wild-caught value-added programs that co-pack alongside meat or poultry lines — where Orange B saw more routine use — face the most immediate reformulation pressure.
The FDA's action fits within its wider "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, which has targeted a series of synthetic additives across food categories over the past 18 months. Regulatory analysts expect the agency to continue working down its list of petroleum-based colorants, which could eventually touch red and yellow dyes used more broadly in seafood retail and foodservice packaging to enhance visual appeal of cooked shrimp, salmon, and imitation crab products.
What's Next
The proposed revocation of Citrus Red No. 2 enters a public comment period before any final order is issued, giving processors and ingredient suppliers a window to submit data or seek alternative compliance pathways. For seafood operators, the more immediate action item is supplier communication: ingredient manufacturers supplying seasonings, coatings, or glazes to fish and shellfish processors should confirm whether either additive appears anywhere in their supply chain documentation. Traceability and clean-label pressures from major retail buyers — many of whom already require disclosure of synthetic colorants — mean that voluntary reformulation ahead of any final FDA order is increasingly the path of least resistance for export-oriented processors and foodservice suppliers alike.
The final Orange B order takes effect upon publication in the Federal Register. Industry counsel tracking the Citrus Red No. 2 proposal can monitor the FDA docket for comment deadlines.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
