Skittles, Ring Pops, Doritos, and More Popular Snacks Could Be Banned in Colorado Soon

There are just some snacks that bring you right back to your childhood.

For me, it's probably Cool Ranch Doritos, M&Ms, and Ring Pops.

I remember going to camp when I was maybe five years old and my Mom giving me five dollars to use at the snack shack. When lunch came around, I bolted over so I could beat my fellow campers in line and snag myself a blue Ring Pop.

READ MORE: Food Truck Rallies Around NoCo for 2025

That day just so happened to be camp picture day. For some reason, the program coordinators thought it would be a genius idea to snap the photos of young campers AFTER lunch.

So, there's a picture of me somewhere in my parent's home of little me with pigtails and blue, buck teeth.

Man, those were the days!

Get our free mobile app

Colorado, Major Changes Are Coming to the Snacks You Love

If seeing snacks like these at the store bring you a sense of nostalgia, get ready. You probably won't be seeing them around for much longer.

In a press release from the FDA, officials from the United States Department Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration have announced plans to "phase out" petroleum-based synthetic dyes from food in America.

“For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 

Here’s What the FDA Is Doing About Food Dyes

There are six actions that the FDA is set to move forward with so they can eliminate these dyes by 2026.

1. Establishing a plan/timeline for companies to eliminate chemical-based dyes in food products and switch to natural options.
2. Begin banning Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B over the course of the next few months.
3. Collaborating with companies on halting the usage of six other artificial dyes by the end of 2025.
4. Finding, approving, and reviewing new natural food color options.
5. Teaming up with the National Institutes of Health to study how food additives affect children.
6. Requesting food companies to remove FD&C Red No. 3 by 2027-2028.

What Popular Foods Will Be Affected in Colorado?

If you're wondering, what the heck are these dyes and what foods are they even in? — don't worry! You're not alone.

Cheapism lays it all out in a recent post.

READ MORE: You've Got to Try Fried Ice Cream in Northern Colorado

Foods that are brightly colored and processed are likely to be affected by these actions from the FDA.

Popular Snacks That Could Look or Taste Different in Colorado

• Froot Loops
•  Pop-Tarts
• Mountain Dew Baja Blast
• Gatorade
• Kool-Aid
• Skittles
•  M&Ms
• Pez
• Ring Pops
• Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
• Doritos
• Blue Takis

What You Should Know as a Colorado Snack Lover

There's a good chance that some of your favorite foods will look or even taste different in the next few years.

So, if you're a big fan of Ring Pops (like I was when I was five) you might want to snag a few of them now and store them away for a rainy day.

Stay up to date with everything going on in Northern Colorado and beyond by downloading the free station app from your app store.

Also, don't forget to follow the station across all social media platforms for the latest news and entertainment updates.