Friendly's

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Isn’t Good If It Isn’t Bright Green | Eater

"The restaurant's mint chocolate chip relies on Blue 1 (alongside annatto and turmeric) for its saturated, artificial-green signature. As the author warns, 'this means goodbye Blue 1' after a recent voluntary pledge by American ice cream makers to eliminate certified artificial colors from their ice creams by the end of 2027 — a pledge by members 'responsible for the vast majority of ice cream sold in the United States.' Major food producers like Kraft Heinz and Nestlé are also working to remove artificial dyes within the next few years, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made eliminating synthetic dyes and other food additives a priority in his role as Secretary of Health and Human Services; together these shifts explain why 'it’s gotten harder to find properly vivid, artificially green mint ice cream as consumer tastes prioritize "natural" options.' There is some hope for vividly hued, but more natural-derived, colors: the Food & Drug Administration is slowly approving new colors derived from natural sources, most recently gardenia (genipin) blue. For fans who prefer the saturated, fantastical green associated with childhood mint-chocolate-chip memories, this chain's classic flavor exemplifies what's at stake." - Bettina Makalintal