Seasoning and Dressing Manufacturers NAICS 311941, 311942

Jun 23, 2025 - Eliminating Artificial Colorings

• 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.
• After threatening to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico – the two largest suppliers of seasonings to the US – President Trump reversed course, announcing imports from those two countries will remain tariff-free for at least one more month. The pause ensured short-term stability for spices like chilies, cumin, and oregano, which are key exports from Mexico, wrote US spice manufacturer Majestic Spice in a blog post. However, tariffs ranging from 10-25% remain in place on Chinese imports, including garlic, ginger, and star anise. Garlic imports from China – valued at around $100 million annually – carry a 25% tariff, while ginger faces similar high tariffs, impacting costs for importers and ultimately US consumers. Because the US relies heavily on imported spices, even small policy changes can impact costs, supply, and sourcing decisions, according to Majestic Spice.

• The Food and Drug Administration in December issued a final rule that updates the definition of the nutrient content claim "healthy,” that appears on food labels. To qualify as "healthy" under the updated definition, food products must contain a certain amount of a food from at least one of the food groups or subgroups outlined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans including fruits, vegetables, protein foods, dairy, and grains. Foods that qualify for the “healthy” claim must also meet certain limits on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Notably, for the first time, the updated “healthy” claim definition sets certain limits for added sugars. Some store-bought salad dressings may be high in saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium. Foods that meet the FDA’s updated definition of healthy include nuts and seeds, higher fat fish such as salmon, olive oil, and water.
• Producer prices for seasoning and dressing manufacturers ticked up 0.7% in May compared to a year ago after rising 3.1% in the previous May-versus-May annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Meanwhile, retail prices for spices, seasonings, condiments, and sauces increased 1.4% year over year in May and rose 0.3% versus April, per the BLS. Employment by the industry fell 2.6% YoY in April, while average wages at food manufacturers rose 3.3% YoY in May to $23.98 per hour, down a bit from their peak in January, BLS data show.