Recent efforts to remove synthetic food dyes from the food supply are a step in the right direction, as these additives have plausible biological mechanisms for harm, particularly in children. But dyes are only a small part of a much larger issue. Modern processed foods contain a wide range of additives—from excess sugars to emulsifiers to enriched nutrients—that, while often deemed safe in isolation, can accumulate in ways that may negatively affect metabolic and overall health. While definitive causal links to chronic disease are still being studied, the broader pattern is clear: health is best supported not by reformulating processed foods, but by shifting toward whole, minimally processed foods that require no additives at all.