WASHINGTON, July 14 - Dozens of U.S. ice cream producers

are planning to remove artificial colors from their products by

2028, the International Dairy Foods Association said on Monday.

The producers, which together represent more than 90% of ice

cream sold in the U.S., are the latest food companies to take

voluntary steps to remove dyes since Health Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. in April said the U.S. aimed to phase out many

synthetic dyes from the country's food supply.

Several major food manufacturers - including General Mills ( GIS )

, Kraft Heinz, J.M. Smucker (SJM.N), Hershey (HSY.N) and

Nestle USA (NESN.S) - have previously announced their plans to

phase out synthetic food coloring.

The 40 ice cream companies will remove Red 3, Red 40, Green 3,

Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from their retail

products, excluding non-dairy products, said the IDFA. The group

said it would will formally announce the plan at an event at the

U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters on Monday with

Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Agriculture Secretary

Brooke Rollins.

Kennedy has blamed food dyes for rising rates of ADHD and

cancer, an area many scientists say requires more research.

The IDFA said artificial dyes are safe, but that ice cream

makers are taking the step in part to avoid disruption to sales

from state efforts to phase out dyes from school foods and West

Virginia's recent food dye ban.