The US Food and Drug Administration is proposing to strike another synthetic dye from the nation’s food supply Orange B, a colourant once used in sausage casings but abandoned decades ago.

The FDA said that it plans to repeal the 1966 regulation authorising the dye, noting that no manufacturer has sought to certify or use Orange B since 1978. “Its use has been abandoned by industry,” the agency explained. “The colour additive regulation is outdated and unnecessary.”

Consumer advocates, however, were unimpressed. “It says they are currently willing to take mandatory steps only where it has no impact,” Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs for the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, told the Associated Press.

The proposal comes months after the FDA banned Red No. 3 because of potential cancer risks. That dye was far more widely used in candies, snack foods, and some medicines. Orange B, by contrast, has been off the market for nearly half a century.

The Biden administration previously pushed major food companies to voluntarily phase out petroleum-based dyes in cereals, yogurts, sodas and other products. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have pledged to go further, removing dyes linked to possible risks for children.

Research into synthetic food dyes has produced mixed results, with some studies suggesting behavioural effects like hyperactivity in children. The FDA maintains that approved dyes are safe, stating, “The totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing colour additives.”

Currently, six widely used dyes Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2 remain under FDA review. Citrus Red No. 2, which occasionally shows up in citrus peels, is also rarely used.

The Orange B proposal will go through a brief public comment period before taking effect within 45 days.

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With inputs from Associated Press