Kraft Heinz to eliminate all chemical dyes in its food products over next two years
17 June 2025 23:28
(THE NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE)Kraft Heinz, the American food giant best known for its ketchup and boxed Mac & Cheese, said Tuesday it would remove all chemical dyes from its products by the end of 2027.The company said the shift would affect only about 10 percent of its portfolio by sales.A spokesperson confirmed it would affect brands like Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Crystal Light and items that contain dyes like Red No. 40 and Blue No. 1.Kraft Heinz is the first major food company to officially announce plans to stop using artificial colors.In April, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, said he had reached "an understanding' with food manufacturers to remove commonly used artificial food dyes from their products by 2026.Kennedy has long criticised the artificial dyes used in processed foods as part of a larger food system he says contributes to chronic disease and poor health.Kraft, like other food and beverage giants, will face myriad challenges in trying to replicate its bright red cherry Kool-Aid or the orange in its Crystal Light drink mixes from natural sources. Food coloring experts caution that it can be tricky to match the shades with natural ingredients, could require changes in formulations and may be more costly as it takes significantly more natural ingredients to achieve the bright, saturated hues found in artificial colors.Kraft, which quietly and successfully removed artificial colors from its popular bright orange macaroni and cheese product in 2016 by switching to turmeric and paprika, said it would not introduce any new products using synthetic dyes, effective immediately.
"The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors,' Pedro Navio, the president of North America at Kraft Heinz, said. He noted that the company had been moving to reduce the use of artificial colors across its portfolio.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
US defence firms chase European military spending wave
US defence giants, backed by a strong Congressional delegation from Washington, used the Paris Airshow to showcase cutting-edge technologies and court European partners as they seek to tap into rising regional military spending. Many European nations have pledged to significantly increase defence budgets in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and as US President Donald Trump's administration has threatened to scale back military support for the region, reporter Reuters. That tension has been notably absent at this week's Paris Airshow, where US lawmakers and arms manufacturers pledged greater transatlantic partnership as Europe ramps up spending on everything from artillery shells and fighter jets to missile defence systems. "We understand that our allies and partners are a force multiplier, so we are stronger when we are working together," US Senator Jerry Moran, a member of Trump's Republican party, told reporters at the show, the world's largest aerospace and defence gathering. Moran, whose delegation was supporting US weapons makers, said it was in Paris to send a message that the US "is a dependable and reliable partner". The conciliatory tone stands in stark contrast to the Trump administration's recent string of disparaging remarks about Europe and its defence industry. "I think antagonising our allies does not make us stronger," Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen told reporters in Paris, expressing her desire to cement defence relations with Europe. Despite pledges by many European nations to boost military self-sufficiency, the continent remains heavily reliant on US defence manufacturers, said Reuters. For instance, Europe buys American-made fighter jets and missiles from Lockheed Martin, Patriot missile defence systems from Raytheon Technologies and military jets and helicopters built by Boeing. In emerging military areas, like artificial intelligence, drones and satellite constellations, US tech firms like Anduril, Palantir and Elon Musk's SpaceX are far ahead, quotes Reuters. US firms are hoping to press home their advantage as European military spending surges, including through partnerships which are a way to soften any potential diplomatic tensions, delegates said. US drone-maker Anduril and German defence giant Rheinmetall said on Wednesday they will link up to build military drones for European markets, in a sign of Europe leveraging American technology to boost military capabilities. Thomas Laliberty, president of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, said there were no easy replacements for its weapons in Europe and he expected the firm to maintain a long-term footprint on the continent, including through new partnerships. Laliberty said Raytheon was close to announcing a plan to manufacture Stingers — a lightweight air defence missile used by Ukrainian forces against Russia — in Europe. "For immediate needs, Raytheon is well positioned to support the European demand," Laliberty told reporters in Paris. "We have a very bright future here." Boeing, which won a contract from Trump's administration to develop the next-generation F-47 fighter jet this year, said Europe and the US would remain long-term partners despite political wobbles, partly to hold off the Chinese threat. "Nobody can do it themselves - maybe the Chinese can try, but certainly the rest of us, we are going to have to work together," said Turbo Sjogren, Boeing's general manager for government services. "To do otherwise takes too long and will be unaffordable." The chairman of Italian aerospace and defence group Leonardo , Stefano Pontecorvo, added that US participation in some European programmes would be "unavoidable" in coming years due to the defence technologies available to them. European rivals were bullish about their future growth prospects but said budget constraints and a lack of regional alliances were holding back progress, conceding that they would continue to need significant US support. "National sovereignty matters but fragmentation is detrimental. We need to find a way to hit a balance," Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani told reporters on Tuesday. Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air power, defence and space at Airbus, said Europe's dependence on the US was "very high".
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Al Etihad
Taaleem signs deal to acquire 95% stake in Kids First Group
19 June 2025 09:38 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)Taaleem Holdings, a leading K–12 premium education provider in the UAE and a Dubai Financial Market-listed company, has signed a deal to acquire a 95% stake in Kids First Group Limited (KFG), a prominent early-years education network operating across the a stock market disclosure on Thursday, Taaleem said the acquisition will be funded through a mix of equity and debt and is expected to close by the fourth quarter of its 2024/25 financial year, subject to regulatory approvals. The cost of the transaction was not disclosed in the statement. 'This strategic move reinforces our defensive positioning and our commitment to scalable, high-quality education in the region,' said Alan Williamson, Chief Executive Officer of Taaleem, in the operates over 30 premium nurseries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha under well-known brands such as Redwood Montessori Nursery, Odyssey Nursery, Willow Children's Nursery, Ladybird Nursery, and Children's Oasis Nursery. The group serves over 5,000 students and employs more than 1,000 said the acquisition allows it to strategically expand into the rapidly growing early learning education sector, complementing its existing portfolio of 32 schools — which includes 10 premium private schools and 22 government-partnership institutions. Its premium schools span international curricula: five IB schools, four British curriculum schools, and one American curriculum to the company, KFG's scalable model and profitability will immediately enhance Taaleem's earnings and cash flow. Post-acquisition, KFG will operate as a standalone vertical within the Taaleem group, with its founder — who retains a 5% stake — continuing as CEO alongside the existing management which was listed on DFM in November 2022, currently has a market capitalisation of Dh3.6 billion. It is indirectly owned by the Government of Dubai, with National Bonds and Knowledge Fund holding stakes of 22.5% and 13.7% respectively. The company said it would hold a dedicated virtual investor call to provide further details on the transaction.
Arabian Post
3 days ago
- Arabian Post
Trump will escalate Iran war
Matein Khalid The deployment of 30 US air-fueling tankers to the Middle East strongly suggests that Trump has decided to escalate the war with Iran with an American led strike on the underground nuclear site at Fordo. Since the B-2 Spirit super bombers would need tankers to refuel their fighter escort. Ali Khamenei's tweet threatening America was precisely the wrong message to send to Trump at a time when the IDF's initial airstrikes have killed almost every general in the Pasdaran, Basij, Ballistic Missile Strike Force, Land Forces and Air Defense Command. ADVERTISEMENT While the Islamic Republic has used low tech weapons like truck bombs to commit terrorist atrocities against its enemies worldwide since the 1980's horror parade in West Beirut, it would be literally suicidal for the Ayatollah to order attacks against American embassies, bases and troops as long as Donald Trump is President and thus Commander in Chief of the most high tech and lethal military machine the world has ever seen. Trump has asked for unconditional surrender from Iran and this is not an American President who will back down from such a stark public policy stance. Crude oil prices have not traded above $76 because OPEC+ has ample spare capacity, Saudi Arabia has pivoted to force down prices in the past three months and Iran has dared not mine the Straits of Hormuz or attack oil tankers in the Gulf. If Israel bombs Kharg Island, the platform for 90% of Iran's oil exports, all bets are off and Brent crude could easily soar to 95-$100 in a classic oil supply shock that followed the fall of the Shah in 1979, Saddam's invasion of Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in 1990. Another indicator that Trump will escalate is that the US Navy's nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Chester Nimitz with 5 missile destroyers has been deployed to the Gulf to join the USS Carl Vinson's carrier battle strike force with its squadrons of missile destroyers. This scale of fire power suggests that the Iran war is set to enter a new and ominous chapter. While the IDF attack on Iran last Friday sent shockwaves through the oil market, any escalation will trigger a global oil panic and inflation shock that means certain recession or worse for the global economy. After all, it is no coincidence that the oil shocks of 1979, 1980 and 1990 triggered three of the most draconian economic slumps since the Great Depression of the 1930's. The allies killed 2-million German civilians in nightly terra bombing raids by the US AAF and the RAF to force FDR and Churchill's unconditional surrender clause on a defeated Third Reich in 1944 and 1945. This prevented a successful military coup against Hitler though the Valkyrie plot of July 20, 1944 almost overthrew the bloodiest regime in human history. I only hope that countless Iranian civilians, the victims of the oppressive Mullah regime for the past 46 years, do not become a victim of Khamenei's promise to never surrender. The beautiful people of Iran do not deserve this horrible fate. Zan, zindagi, azadi! Also published on Medium. Notice an issue? Arabian Post strives to deliver the most accurate and reliable information to its readers. If you believe you have identified an error or inconsistency in this article, please don't hesitate to contact our editorial team at editor[at]thearabianpost[dot]com. We are committed to promptly addressing any concerns and ensuring the highest level of journalistic integrity.
