The move is the latest voluntary effort by food manufacturers to heed calls from the Trump administration to remove synthetic dyes over concerns about potential health effects. 

Companies including Nestle, Kraft Heinz and General Mills - almost 90 percent of the industry - said they would pull artificial colors from their foods, too.

'This is a renaissance moment for health in America,' US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference.

About 40 makers of ice cream and frozen dairy desserts said they would remove seven petroleum-based dyes from their products by 2028, according to Michael Dykes, president of the International Dairy Foods Association. 

The colors are Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. 

The trade group wouldn't identify the firms, although Turkey Hill Dairy chief executive Andy Jacobs was present at the event where the announcement was made. 

The national focus on artificial food dyes is 'a good step to take,' but officials should not ignore larger known contributors to chronic disease, including the added sugars and saturated fat commonly found in ice cream, said Deanna Hoelscher, a University of Texas nutrition expert.

'Just taking out or changing the food dye source is not necessarily going to make it a healthy option,' she said. 'It still is a food that should be consumed in moderation.'

However, Makary also hinted that new federal dietary guidelines, expected later this year, would challenge established links between saturated fat and heart disease, ending what he called 'a 70-year demonization of natural saturated fat.'

The average American eats about 4 gallons of ice cream a year, the IDFA said. The frozen treat contributes an estimated $12 billion to the economy and supports more than 27,000 dairy industry jobs.

Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies showing that they may cause some neurobehavioral problems, such as hyperactivity and attention problems, in some children.