Color Additive Petition From Environmental Defense Fund et al.; Request To Amend the Color Additive Regulations To Remove the Solvents Ethylene Dichloride, Methylene Chloride, and Trichloroethylene
Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register Nov. 10, 2026. Document 2026-22865. Updated Nov. 10, 2026.
- What it does
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is partially granting a color additive petition submitted by Environmental Defense Fund et al. (petitioners), by amending our color additive regulations, on the basis of the Delaney Clause, to remove the authorized use of methylene chloride as a diluent in color additive mixtures in inks for marking fruit and vegetables. The petitioners provided data demonstrating that this additive induces cancer in laboratory animals. We are denying the remaining petition requests to remove ethylene dichloride, methylene chloride, and trichloroethylene from the list of authorized extraction solvents for annatto extract, paprika oleoresin, and turmeric oleoresin, because any residue of the solvent would be an impurity in the color additive and such impurities are not subject to the Delaney Clause.
The Food and Drug Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.
- What changed in the regulation
1 part of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations:
- Compared with
The Food and Drug Administration has published 102 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 68 in all of 2025.
Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.
- What happens next and when
This order is effective January 11, 2027. If any provisions are delayed or stayed by the filing of proper objections, FDA will publish such notification in the Federal Register. Submit either electronic or written objections and requests for a hearing on the order by December 10, 2026. See section X for further information on the filing of objections.
The agency's dates, word for word.
The record as published
| Document number | 2026-22865 |
|---|---|
| Action | Final amendment; order; notification of partial denial of petition. |
| Agencies | Health and Human Services Department; Food and Drug Administration |
| Published | Nov. 10, 2026 |
| Effective date | Jan. 11, 2027 |
| Comments close | Dec. 10, 2026 |
| Docket | FDA-2023-C-5679 |
Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register