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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Kraft Heinz to drop artificial dyes from US products by 2027 amid concerns
Kraft Heinz has officially joined the growing movement to clean up America's food labels. The global food giant announced plans to remove artificial dyes from all its US products by the end of 2027. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the company also confirmed that it will no longer introduce any new products in the US that contain synthetic colours. The decision comes amid rising scrutiny of artificial food additives by the Trump administration. As part of this effort, the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration in April launched a joint initiative aimed at phasing out six synthetic food dyes from the national food supply by the end of next year, citing mounting health concerns and growing public demand for cleaner food labels. 'This is about our children's health. These additives are poisoning an entire generation,' Kennedy has said repeatedly, as he pushes for sweeping reforms in the nation's food system. While many food companies and industry bodies have continued to defend synthetic dyes, citing regulatory approvals and decades of usage, some major players are slowly changing course. PepsiCo and WK Kellogg, for instance, have already started phasing out or limiting their use of artificial colours. Now, Kraft Heinz—co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh—is joining that list. The company revealed that nearly 90 per cent of its US product portfolio (by sales) already contains no artificial dyes. For the remaining products—including popular items like Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, Heinz Relish, Jell-O, and Jet-Puffed marshmallows—the company said it will either replace synthetic dyes with natural alternatives, change the colour profile entirely, or remove colours where they are not essential. 'For most of our products, natural replacements are available,' Pedro Navio, President of Kraft Heinz North America, was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal. '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 colours across the remainder of our portfolio,' he said. This isn't Kraft Heinz's first step in this direction. The brand had already removed artificial dyes from its iconic Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016.
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Kraft Heinz to rid all chemical dyes over next 2 years
NEW YORK, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Kraft Heinz, the food giant best known for its ketchup and boxed Mac & Cheese, said on 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. The New York Times quoted a spokeswoman as confirming that it would affect brands like Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Crystal Light and other beverages and desserts 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, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he had reached "an understanding" with food manufacturers to remove commonly used artificial food dyes from their products by 2026.
Al Etihad
4 days ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
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 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. Heinz is the first major food company to officially announce plans to stop using artificial 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 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 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 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.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kraft Heinz to remove all artificial dyes from its products by end of 2027
The Kraft Heinz Company said it will remove all artificial dyes from its products by the end of 2027 and will not launch any new products with those ingredients. The company said in a press release that about 10% of its products still use FD&C colors, the additives that make foods more visually appealing. A spokesperson told CNBC the products that still use the dyes include Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, MiO, Jell-O and Jet-Puffed. 'The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we've been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio,' said Pedro Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz. The company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft Mac & Cheese in 2016, and its Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never used artificial dyes, Navio said. Kraft Heinz said it is also working with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove FD&C colors. In April, U.S. health officials said they would urge food makers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors in the nation's food supply The FDA currently allows 36 food color additives, including eight synthetic dyes. In January, the agency announced that Red 3, the popular food dye that gives cherry-flavored drinks and foods the vibrant red color, will be banned in food by 2027 because it caused cancer in laboratory rats. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
USA Today
4 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Kraft Heinz will remove all artificial dyes from its food
Kraft Heinz, manufacturer of beloved food and drink products from the classic Kraft Mac and Cheese and Heinz ketchup to Kool-Aid and Jell-O, will eliminate the use of all artificial dyes in its products by the end of 2027, the company announced Tuesday. In a June 17 press release, the company said "nearly" 90% of its products were already free of Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors, also known as artificial or synthetic food dyes, and that it would be removing them from the remaining 10% of its products. The manufacturer also said it would not launch any new products using the dyes, effective immediately. The FD&C dyes in question have been and still are allowed for use in food and drink products under U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. However, an announcement from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr in April indicated the agency is looking to revoke the approval of at least eight "petroleum-based synthetic dyes" in favor of "natural alternatives." Before the end of 2027, Kraft Heinz intends to replace the dyes with natural alternatives or "reinvent" new colors and shades for products where natural replacement color matches are not available. "As a food company with a 150+ year heritage, we are continuously evolving our recipes, products, and portfolio to deliver superiority to consumers and customers,' Pedro Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement. 'The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we've been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Kennedy praised the move on a June 17 post to X, formerly Twitter, saying this "voluntary step" will phase out "harmful dyes" in brands like Kool-Aid, Jell-O and Crystal Light. Are food dyes getting banned in the US?: What know to about 8 dyes being phased out Is the US banning artificial food dyes? The FDA announced on April 22 that it will "phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation's food supply" by the end of 2026. The dyes have previously been allowed under FDA regulations and oversight. The targeted additives include Red Dye 40, Yellow Dye 5, Yellow Dye 6, Blue Dye 1, Blue Dye 2, Green Dye 3, Citrus Red 2 and Orange B. No formal agreement or legislation was passed officially banning the substances. Instead, HHS and the FDA have a "mutual understanding" with the food industry that the dyes will be progressively removed, Kennedy said at the time. During an April 22 press conference, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency intends to revoke the approval of some dyes for use and work with industry leaders to substitute petrochemical dyes with "natural" ones. A press statement released by the FDA also said it plans to establish a "national standard and timeline for the transition from petrochemical-based dyes to natural alternatives." The FDA will authorize four new natural color additives and expedite the approval of more, according to its statement. The agency will also partner with the National Institutes of Health to research the effect food additives have on children's health and development. Other companies promise to eliminate artificial dyes Several major food and beverage companies have recently announced their plans to remove ingredients in the wake of the April HHS announcement. At an April 24 earnings call, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company's transition away from artificial colors was underway, with more than 60 percent of its business already in compliance. Popular snack brands under its portfolio like Lays, Doritos and Tostitos, will stop using artificial colors by the end of the year under the directive. Tyson Foods made a similar promise in May, telling Reuters it was "proactively reformulating" products to eliminate the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of the month. Mars, Inc., the producer of Skittles, also announced in late May that it would be removing titanium dioxide from the colorful candy.
