Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes in U.S.

Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that it can remove FD&C artificial dyes from its products by the tip of 2027, and won’t launch any latest products within the U.S. containing those ingredients.

The corporate said in a release that about 10% of its U.S. items use FD&C colours, the synthetic additives that make many foods more visually appealing. Kraft Heinz brands that sell products with these dyes include Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, MiO, Jell-O and Jet-Puffed, in accordance with a Kraft Heinz spokesperson.

The corporate removed artificial colours, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft macaroni and cheese in 2016 and its Heinz ketchup has never used artificial dyes, in accordance with Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz. It’s unclear how removing the dyes will affect the corporate’s business, as consumers could perceive the products as healthier but in addition could also be less drawn to duller colours.

The choice follows pressure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for the food industry to tug back on artificial dyes as part of a bigger so-called Make America Healthy Again platform.

The FDA in April announced a plan to phase out the usage of petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the tip of next yr and replace them with natural alternatives. Besides the previously banned Red No. 3, other dyes that can be eliminated include red dye 40, yellow dye 5, yellow dye 6, blue dye 1, blue dye 2 and green dye 2, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said on the time.

Kennedy said on the time that the FDA and the food industry have “an understanding,” not a proper agreement, to remove artificial dyes. The Health and Human Services secretary discussed removing artificial food dyes during a gathering in March with top food executives from firms including Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo North America, General Mills, WK Kellogg, Tyson Foods, J.M. Smucker and the Consumer Brands Association, the industry’s top trade group.

A spokesperson for Kraft Heinz said on Tuesday that the corporate looks forward to partnering with the administration “to supply quality, inexpensive, and healthful food for all.”

Momentum against food dyes had been constructing for years. In January, before President Donald Trump and Kennedy took office, the FDA announced a ban on the usage of Red No. 3 dye in food and ingested drugs. The dye gives many candies and cereals their vivid red color, but can also be known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. The FDA allowed Red No. 3 to be utilized by food manufacturers for years, though the state of California had already banned the dye in 2023.

Kraft Heinz said in the discharge Tuesday that it has made greater than 1,000 recipe changes over the past five years to enhance product nutrition.

“The overwhelming majority of our products use natural or no colours, and we have been on a journey to scale back our use of FD&C colours across the rest of our portfolio,” Navio said. “Above all, we’re focused on providing nutritious, inexpensive and great-tasting food for Americans and it is a privilege we do not take calmly.”