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Food giants Kraft Heinz and General Mills have this week announced they will commit to removing artificial colours from all of their US food products by the end of 2027.
The announcements come amid increasing scrutiny of artificial dyes and other synthetic food additives in the US, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr calling on all major food companies in the country to remove the dyes from their products by the end of his term in 2029.
This aligns with Kennedy’s Make America Health Again agenda, seeking to address chronic health issues by reforming dietary practices. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already banned the use of the synthetic Red Dye 3 after it was linked to cancer in laboratory rats. Other synthetic colours have been linked to potential adverse health effects, such as hyperactivity in children, fuelling growing concerns over their use.
Kraft Heinz announced yesterday (17 June 2025) that it will not launch any new products in the US with Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colours, effective immediately. It will also remove the remaining FD&C colours from its US product portfolio before the end of 2027.
In a statement, the company said nearly 90% of its US products are already free of artificial colours. Kraft Heinz has now invested in ‘significant resources’ to address the portion of products that still contain the synthetic dyes.
It will take a ‘three-pronged’ approach to address the challenge: removing colours where it is not critical to the consumer experience; replacing FD&C colours with natural variants; or reinventing new colours and shades where matching natural replacements are not available.
Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz, said: “The vast majority of our products use natural or no colours, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio. In fact, we removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavours from our beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016.”
He added: “Our iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never had artificial dyes – the red colour comes simply from the world’s best tomatoes. Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don’t take lightly.”
The company said it is also working with licensees of it brands to encourage them to remove FD&C colours.
General Mills also shared a statement yesterday, revealing it will remove artificial colours from all its US cereals and all K-12 school foods by summer 2026. It will then work to remove them from its full US retail portfolio by the end of 2027.
The company said the change impacts only a small portion of its K-12 school portfolio, as nearly all its school offerings today are made without artificial dyes. Similarly, 85% of its full US retail portfolio is currently made without FD&C colours.
Jeff Harmening, chairman and CEO of General Mills, said: “Across the long arc of our history, General Mills has moved quickly to meet evolving consumer needs, and reformulating our product portfolio to remove certified colours is yet another example”.
He added: “Knowing the trust families place in us, we are leading the way on removing certified colours in cereals and K-12 foods by next summer. We’re committed to continuing to make food that tastes great and is accessible to all.”
The company has made several moves to enhance the health of its offerings in recent years, including addressing sugar reduction, doubling vitamin D in its cereals by 2023 and reducing sodium by 20% across key product categories since 2019.
