In-N-Out changes recipes for some menu items. Here’s why and what to know
In-N-Out is changing the recipes for some signature menu items as it bids adieu to artificial food dyes, according to multiple news outlets.
The California-based burger chain, known for its no-frills menu, confirmed it’s removing artificial food coloring from its pink lemonade and strawberry syrup, Nation’s Restaurant News reported.
Changes are also coming to its ketchup, which contains high-fructose corn syrup.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to providing our customers with the highest-quality ingredients, we have removed artificial coloring from our Strawberry Shakes and Signature Pink Lemonade,” an In-N-Out spokesperson told KTLA in a statement.
“We’re also in the process of transitioning to an upgraded ketchup, which is made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup,” the spokesperson said, according to the station.
McClatchy News reached out to In-N-Out for more information May 15 but didn’t immediately hear back.
The changes come amid a push by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Food and Drug Administration to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply by 2026.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has argued that such dyes contain “poisonous compounds” and offer “no nutritional benefit.”
In addition to revoking authorization for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange, the government is working to end the use of other synthetic dyes, including Red No. 40 and Red No. 3, commonly found in candies, cupcakes and frosting products. But the government also recently approved three natural food color ingredients: galdieria extract blue, butterfly pea flower extract and calcium phosphate.
“We’re removing these dyes and approving safe, natural alternatives — to protect families and support healthier choices,” Kennedy said in a news release..
In-N-Out is among the first restaurant chains to implement recipe changes in response to the government’s crackdown on food dyes, according to KTLA.
“From the first bite of your burger to your last french fry, quality is the most important ingredient at In-N-Out Burger,” according to the restaurant’s website.
Find your nearest In-N-Out here.
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 12:27 PM with the headline "In-N-Out changes recipes for some menu items. Here’s why and what to know."