Toxin Free USA Campaigns to Prevent Products of Genetic Engineering From Being Labeled “Natural”

New Fairfield, CT, April 3, 2026 —  Public interest nonprofit GMO/Toxin Free USA (TFUSA) succeeded in delaying a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposal to allow a novel, synthetic food dye produced by Phytolon Ltd. to enter the U.S. food supply and be labeled as “natural.”

This marks a rare and significant moment of accountability, where a federal agency paused a corporate-benefiting decision due to public interest advocacy. It represents a powerful step toward our vision of full food transparency, stronger safety standards, and a system that prioritizes people and the environment over industry convenience.

Phytolon’s synthetic food color, Beetroot Red, is produced through a genetic engineering technique called Synthetic Biology, or SynBio, and often referred to as “precision fermentation,” or misleadingly as only “fermentation.”

On February 6, 2026, the FDA issued a Final Order for Phytolon’s color additive petition to allow the synthetic food dye to enter the food market by “amending the color additive regulations to provide for the safe use of beetroot red for the coloring of human foods generally.” The order would have gone into effect March 23, 2026.

TFUSA submitted a document of objection during the FDA’s public comment period ending March 9, 2026. The full submission can be read HERE.

TFUSA’s primary objections to Phytolon’s Beetroot Red are:

• Beetroot Red is a product of SynBio, an extreme form of genetic engineering that starts in a lab and finishes in industrial vats, and should not be allowed to be labeled “natural.” Further, no products made with SynBio food dyes should be allowed to claim “no artificial colors.”
• Phytolon failed to provide adequate proof of safety of synthetic Beetroot Red for long-term human consumption.
• Potential contamination by novel proteins or byproducts of the genetic engineering process could present a food safety risk and have not been addressed.
• Phytolon failed to respond to FDA’s feedback and required followup testing.

The FDA responded to TFUSA’s objection by issuing a statement on March 24: “As of March 20, 2026, the effective date of the final order published February 6, 2026 (91 FR 5295) is delayed indefinitely. The FDA will publish a document in the Federal Register announcing a new effective date or other administrative action on the order.” The FDA added: “We received a submission from GMO/Toxin Free USA containing objections that meet the conditions set forth in 21 CFR 12.22 to initiate a stay of the effective date of the final order.”

In a statement to Food Navigator USA, Michael Hansen, Senior Scientist at Consumer Reports, agreed that the production process of genetic engineering could leave contaminants in the product and present a food safety risk. “You can often find in the final product, 15, 20, 30, 40 different proteins, or other things in there. So, you should be identifying whether any of those raise safety concerns.”

Dr. Hansen added, “They should absolutely let consumers know that is a genetically engineered color or genetically modified. They should not be able to call that ‘not artificial’ or ‘natural.’ We have done enough surveys to show that people do not consider engineered things to be natural.”

The FDA also stated, “Our announcement of the delay of the effective date of the final order does not reflect a change in our determination that there is a reasonable certainty of no harm from the use of this color additive under the proposed conditions of its intended use.”

Diana Reeves, Executive Director of TFUSA, said, “We need to wait for the FDA’s follow-up determination on Beetroot Red. But if the FDA later decides to approve the synthetic dye despite the safety issues, the agency must not allow SynBio food additives to be labeled ‘natural,’ or ‘no artificial colors.’ In fact, this is a product of genetic engineering and should require a GMO or bioengineered label. This administration campaigned on bringing transparency to our food system. The administration is also currently campaigning on eating ‘real food.’ Swapping synthetic petroleum-based dyes for synthetic genetically engineered dyes and allowing the industry to call the products ‘natural’ would be a betrayal of the promises made by the administration.”

“The food industry should take careful note: Attempts to pull the wool over America’s eyes, calling SynBio products ‘natural’ or ‘non-GMO,’ will not go over well for your brands in the long run,” added Reeves.

TFUSA will continue to campaign on this issue, educating the public about newer forms of genetic engineering such as SynBio and gene-editing, and galvanize public rejection of genetically engineered foods that have not been independently safety tested.

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GMO/Toxin Free USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocating for a clean, healthy food system and environment, non-toxic consumer products, and educating consumers about the hazards of GMOs, pesticides and other toxins. toxinfreeusa.org

Press inquiries contact:

Luan Van Le, GMO/Toxin Free USA
Phone: 347.921.1466
Email: [email protected]