International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) officials said many IDFA ice cream manufacturers pledged to eliminate certified artificial colors from ice cream products made with real milk by Dec. 31, 2027.
IDFA said “dozens” of U.S. ice cream companies will eliminate use of certified artificial colors Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from ice cream and frozen dairy desserts by 2028. Officials notedthat this commitment “represents companies making more than 90% of the ice cream volume sold in the United States.”
“I am proud of ice cream makers and dairy foods companies for stepping up for American families by making this voluntary commitment to provide ice cream and frozen dairy treats without certified artificial colors,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “Americans are passionate about their ice cream, and the IDFA Ice Cream Commitment will ensure wholesome, indulgent ice cream products made with real milk from American dairy farmers remain a special part of our lives as state and federal policies evolve.”
IDFA leaders joined Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, and others at the USDA headquarters in Washington on July 20 to announce the commitment and participate in a special ice cream celebration.
“Today’s announcement represents a commitment by dozens of individual ice cream companies,” said Andy Jacobs, chair of the IDFA Ice Cream Segment Board and chief executive officer of Turkey Hill Dairy. “From small independent companies to family-owned businesses going back generations, to large multi-national companies—we have all come together in a true industry-wide effort to make these changes.”
“Today, all across this country, truck drivers are hauling thousands of tanker-loads of farm fresh American milk to hundreds of U.S. ice cream making facilities,” said dairy farmer Sam Schwoeppe of Schwoeppe Dairy, part of the Prairie Farms Dairy cooperative family and an IDFA member. “In fact, one out of every 10 tankers of U.S. milk goes to making ice cream, supporting thousands of dairy farming families like mine. As we enjoy our favorite ice cream treats, please remember to thank a dairy farmer—they make it all possible.”
IDFA’s “Ice Cream Commitment” applies to products made with real milk sold at food retail (including supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, and online retailers) by the nation’s commercial ice cream makers. In addition to branded and private label sales at food retail, many of the nation’s commercial ice cream makers distribute their products to restaurants, ice cream parlors and scoop shops across the country. This initiative does not apply to products made with non-dairy ingredients or those made in-house by small ice cream shops or restaurants (i.e., foodservice).
IDFA said its most recent announcement joins a string of proactive, voluntary efforts by U.S. dairy companies to reduce sugar and add natural ingredients—particularly for products sold to students in school:
- The IDFA Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment is a pledge by U.S. dairy companies to remove certified artificial colors in milk, cheese, and yogurt products sold to schools by July 2026.
- The IDFA Healthy School Milk Commitment is an ongoing effort to reduce the level of added sugars and calories in flavored milks in school meals while maintaining milk’s 13 essential nutrients for growth and development.
