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Food giant Kraft Heinz will remove all artificial colors from its brands as synthetic food dyes face renewed scrutiny from consumers and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s US Department of Health and Human Services.
The maker of Kraft Mac & Cheese, Heinz ketchup, Jell-O, Capri-Sun and other brands announced Tuesday that it will remove synthetic food coloring from all of its foods sold in the United States by the end of 2027. The company also said it will not release any new US foods with artificial dyes.
“The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of (artificial) colors across the remainder of our portfolio,” Pedro Navio, Kraft Heinz’s North America president, said in a news release. The company removed artificial colors from Kraft Mac & Cheese in 2016.
Kraft Heinz is one of the first US packaged food companies to commit to removing artificial dyes from its brands. The move may have already pushed rivals to speed up efforts to phase out artificial coloring.
Kennedy applauded the move on Tuesday, writing in a post on X that Kraft Heinz’s decision “proves that when the government sets clear, science-based standards, the food industry listens and acts.”
General Mills, the maker of cereals such as Cheerios, Trix and Cinnamon Toast Crunch as well as other brands like Nature Valley, Pillsbury and Yoplait, soon followed suit. It announced later Tuesday that it planed to remove certified colors from all of its US cereals and K-12 school foods by summer 2026 and out of all of its products by 2027. The Minneapolis-based company said in a statement that 85% of its retail products are already made without those artificial colors.
The US Food and Drug Administration currently permits the use of several petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food. They are often used to make food and beverages brightly colored and appealing to customers, especially children. But these additives, which governments and nonprofit organizations have long raised concerns over, are facing fresh US government scrutiny due to the potential negative effects on animal and human health — including a possible increased risk of cancer and neurobehavioral issues in some children.
The FDA banned the use of red dye No. 3 in food, beverages and ingested drugs in January. In April, the agency announced plans to work with industry to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the US food supply over the next several years. Kennedy at the time called the dyes “poisonous compounds.”
Kraft Heinz is probably trying to get ahead of state and federal bans on artificial coloring in food.
California, Virginia and West Virginia have banned artificial dyes, and more than half of US states, led by both Democrats and Republicans, are seeking to ban dyes and some other additives from foods, according to Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental health organization.
The company is also facing direct pressure from Kennedy, who reportedly met with executives from Kraft Heinz, General Mills and other food companies to call on them to remove artificial dyes before the end of his term.
Kennedy has “made clear his intention to take action unless the industry is willing to be proactive with solutions,” according to an email seen by Bloomberg.
Kraft Heinz’s move comes as the company struggles to keep up with consumer tastes and weighs a major shakeup to its business.
Many of Kraft Heinz’s brands, such as Lunchables and Capri-Sun, have fallen out of favor with customers seeking healthier choices. Kraft Heinz’s sales dropped 6.4% last quarter.
Last month, the company said it was evaluating strategic changes and potential transactions.
Kraft Heinz said two directors representing Berkshire Hathaway would step down from its board, meaning Warren Buffett’s company will no longer hold seats. Berkshire helped engineer the 2015 merger between Kraft Foods and HJ Heinz that created the company.
Kraft Heinz in recent years has sold off Planters and its US natural cheese business to simplify its business. Analysts believe the latest announcement is a signal that the company may unload other brands or seek to merge with a rival.
CNN’s Kristen Rogers contributed to this article.
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