Lincoln bakery sees 70% increase in dye-free orders

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A Lincoln small business owner is seeing a common request among recent orders.

Erin Odem, who owns ET’s Sweets, has offered dye-free options for the 13 years she has been in business.

But she said the national spotlight on food dyes from the Trump administration is leading to more dye-free orders.

“People are becoming more aware, reading the labels on what they’re getting and seeing that there is Red 40 or other dyes within their products that they are getting from the store,” Odem said.

She has seen a 70% increase in dye-free orders this year.

Odem makes everything from scratch, so most of her products do not have dye.

Because of that, customers have been seeking her out.

She said a lot of the requests have been for dye-free cakes, cookies and pie fillings.

“I do try to use a natural food coloring in that because, especially red velvet has so much of a red food coloring in it, and it’s essentially just chocolate cake,” she said.

Odem said customers are looking for dye-free alternatives to help with their concentration and behavior.

And she’s noticed that people are opting for naturally dye-free treats this graduation season, like brownies and cookies.