The FDA's move stops short of the outright ban that had been floated for in Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" platform from the campaign trail. Instead, it relies on what the Department of Health and Human Services said was a "national standard and timeline for the industry" to voluntarily make the switch.

Eight petroleum-based synthetic food dyes must be phased out of the American food supply and medications within the next year, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary.

They cited concerns about a possible link between consumption of the dyes and health conditions like ADHD, obesity and diabetes, an area many scientists say requires more research.