FDA Adds J.T.M. Food Group as Dye Pledge Tracker Reaches 32 Entries

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added J.T.M. Food Group to its public tracker of pledges to drop petroleum-based food dyes. The October 16 update lists 32 entries, and 12 are now marked complete.

TLDR

• The FDA tracker page was updated October 16, 2026. The only new entry since September 15 is J.T.M. Food Group.
• J.T.M. is marked complete. The FDA says it does not use certified FD&C colors in its products.
• The tracker now shows 32 entries from 31 companies and trade groups: 12 complete, 20 in progress.
• The federal goal is to remove six remaining certified colors by the end of 2027.

What Changed in October

Comparing the September 15 and October 16 versions of the FDA page shows one addition. J.T.M. Food Group now tops the table, covering its entire portfolio. No other entry changed status.

J.T.M. is a family-owned processor based in Harrison, Ohio. Trade coverage describes it as a maker of fully cooked foods for schools, restaurants, military buyers, distributors and retailers.

Where the Pledges Stand

Complete entries include Nestlé USA, Campbell’s, Tyson Foods, Otis Spunkmeyer, Aramark Student Nutrition and In-N-Out Burger. Target cereal, Sam’s Club Member’s Mark and Welch’s Fruit Snacks maker PIM Brands are also complete.

Twenty entries remain in progress. General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Hershey, Kellanova, Conagra Brands, J.M. Smucker and McKee Foods all point to the end of 2027. Walmart lists January 2027 for its private brands. Grupo Bimbo and WK Kellogg Co target the end of 2026 for existing products.

Two trade group pledges run past 2027. The American Bakers Association targets December 2028 for all U.S. baked goods. The International Dairy Foods Association targets 2028 for ice cream and frozen dairy desserts.

The Regulatory Backdrop

The FDA revoked authorization for FD&C Red No. 3 in January 2025, with a January 15, 2027 deadline. It is working with industry to phase out Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2. The agency describes the industry pledges as voluntary.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is critical. It says the tracker “includes limited and vague commitments and omits companies that have made no commitment at all.”

Why It Matters

For R&D, regulatory and brand teams, the tracker is the clearest public scorecard of the phase-out. About 14 months remain before the end-2027 target, and 20 of 32 entries are still open. School food deadlines cluster around the 2026-2027 school year. Suppliers and co-manufacturers can use the listed timelines to plan natural color capacity.

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Sources: FDA; Center for Science in the Public Interest; The Provisioner; FoodNavigator-USA.