The U.S. government is planning to phase artificial dyes out of the food supply – and it’s reigniting public concern over potential health risks linked to these additives, like behavioral problems and hyperactivity in children.

Right now, eight dyes are approved for use by the FDA: Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Citrus Red 2, Orange B, and Green 3. (A ninth, Red 3, was banned this year, at the end of the Biden administration, after two studies found that exposure to high amounts of it led to tumors in lab rats.)

Most additives fall into a few basic categories: preservatives, flavor changers, and added vitamins and minerals to supply extra nutrients. But how worried should you be about these dyes? And will banning them really help your health? Here’s what to know – and what you can do now.

The FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced they’d be working with food manufacturers to ban or eliminate all eight synthetic dyes. They hope to replace them with natural dyes by the end of 2026. Whether or not that’s doable remains unclear. But these chemicals have sparked controversy for decades, after researchers linked them to behavioral issues in children in the 1970s.

Manufacturers use artificial colors to entice you to buy their food. One in every 10 food products contain at least one synthetic dye, according to an analysis by TheWall Street Journal – and of those, 40% have three or more. A study in Clinical Pediatrics found that 43% of foods marketed to children contain at least one artificial dye. While the amount per serving is typically less than 10% of what’s deemed safe, kids often consume much more than a single serving in a day.

But this goes well beyond rainbow-colored candies and breakfast cereals. You’ll find artificial dyes in plenty of grown-up products, too – including surprising things like smoked salmon, dried fruit, pickles, salad dressing, and yogurt. Dozens of studies – most relatively small – have found that when some kids eat or drink things with artificial dyes, their behavior changes for the worse. In 2021, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment released a report reviewing the evidence gathered. The report found that more than two-thirds of the studies linked artificial colors to behavioral issues in some children.