Seasoning and Dressing Manufacturers NAICS 311941, 311942

Oct 23, 2025 - Color Manufacturers Sue West Virginia

• Food dye manufacturers are suing the state of West Virginia in a bid to overturn a state law that bans artificial colors in food and beverages, Food Dive reports. The lawsuit, filed in October by the International Association of Color Manufacturers (IACM), argues West Virginia’s new law (H.B. 2354) arbitrarily prohibits certain named synthetic color additives used to color food and beverage products that the US Food and Drug Administration evaluated and certified as safe decades ago and violates the US and state constitutions. The state law prohibits food and beverage companies from selling products with seven synthetic dyes, as well as the preservatives butylated hydroxyanisole and propylparaben, beginning in 2028. Food Dive notes the IACM lawsuit is the first major effort from the food industry to fight back as more states consider artificial dye restrictions.
• Tariffs on exports from India and other spice producing countries imposed by the Trump administration are poised to reshape the global spice trade, with spices and seasonings from India becoming less attractive in the US market compared to other origins like Vietnam and Indonesia, exporters told the Hindu Buinessline. In 2024, the US imported more than $410 million in spices from India, according to the USDA, and the US is the second largest market for Indian spices. Several essential spices, including cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and cloves, require tropical climates and, therefore, cannot be grown in the US on a large enough scale to meet demand, the executive director of the American Spice Trade Association, Laura Shumow, said in a statement. US consumers, restaurants, and food manufacturers are likely to face high prices for imported spices from India – and other countries slapped with tariffs – or supply constraints as importers cut back.

• Spice and flavorings giant McCormick is speeding up efforts to remove artificial food dyes from its products as efforts to eliminate synthetic dyes from the US food supply gain momentum, Food Dive reports. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for the removal of eight artificial dyes from the US food supply. The dyes, found in candy, soft drinks, and some salad dressings, lemon‑pepper seasoning, and marinades, are used to offset color loss due to exposure to light, temperature extremes as well as to provide color to colorless and "fun" foods, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In a recent earnings call, McCormick’s CEO said the company has been working for some time to reformulate its products to remove artificial colorants and to reduce sodium levels. McCormick says it's working with restaurants and food manufacturers that are under pressure to eliminate artificial dyes.
• Producer prices for seasoning and dressing manufacturers hit another new high in August, rising 1.6% compared to a year ago, after rising 1.3% in the previous August-versus-August annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Meanwhile, retail prices for spices, seasonings, condiments, and sauces increased 1.7% year over year in August and 1.2% versus July, per the BLS. Employment by the industry shrank 1% YoY in July, while average wages at food manufacturers rose 2% YoY in August to $23.98 per hour, down $0.15 from their peak in January, BLS data show.