The FDA said on November 9 that it is revoking the authorization for methylene chloride as a diluent in inks used to mark fruits and vegetables. The change takes effect January 11, 2027, and it is a regulatory action, not a recall of produce already in stores.
What the FDA changed
The agency announced two related color additive actions this week. The first removes the authorized use of methylene chloride in color additive mixtures used as inks for marking fruits and vegetables. The FDA said it took that step in response to a color additive petition filed by the Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Environmental Working Group, and Lisa Lefferts.
In its notice, the FDA said the petition asked the agency to revoke the authorization under the Delaney Clause in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The agency said a color additive that is ingested must be deemed unsafe under that clause if it has been found to induce cancer in humans or animals. The FDA said methylene chloride has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
This is a rule change about what can be authorized going forward, not an announcement that shopp...