A processed food brand is considering removing a controversial dye from its product line to satisfy consumer concerns. Which evaluation best balances public health, regulatory precedent, and sensory consequences when deciding?

• A. Remove the dye only if mandated by law; otherwise prioritize sensory matching by selecting the most chemically similar synthetic substitute from another banned class
• B. Remove the dye if animal or human data suggest any plausible carcinogenic or other health risk, even if low; simultaneously invest in alternatives (natural colors or reformulation) to maintain sensory quality and comply with regulatory trends
• C. Ignore both consumer concern and regulatory trends and only use internal taste panels to decide; population-level health impacts and regulatory precedent are irrelevant to brand-level choices
• D. Refuse removal because consumer fears are always unfounded and the dye's function is purely aesthetic; keep the cheaper synthetic dye to preserve margins regardless of regulatory actions elsewhere

Answer: (B)