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Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Kraft Heinz pulling artificial dyes from its US products in 2027
Kraft Heinz will be pulling artificial dyes from its U.S. products starting in 2027 and will no longer roll out new products with the dyes. The move comes nearly two months after US health officials said that they would urge foodmakers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors in the nation's food supply. Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that almost 90 per cent of its US products already don't contain food, drug & cosmetic colors, but that the products that do still use the dyes will have them removed by the end of 2027. FD&C colors are synthetic additives that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in food, drugs and cosmetics. Kraft Heinz said that many of its US products that still use the FD&C colors are in its beverage and desserts categories, including certain products sold under brands including Crystal Light, Kool Aid, Jell-O and Jet Puffed. The company said that it will instead use natural colors for the products. "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," Pedro Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement. Kraft Heinz stripped artificial colors, flavors and preservatives from its macaroni and cheese in 2016 and said it has never used artificial dyes in its ketchup. The company plans to work with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove the dyes. In April Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference that the agency would take steps to eliminate the synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, largely by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry. Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. The FDA has maintained that the approved dyes are safe and that "the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives." The FDA currently allows 36 food color additives, including eight synthetic dyes. In January, the agency announced that the dye known as Red 3 - used in candies, cakes and some medications - would be banned in food by 2027 because it caused cancer in laboratory rats. Artificial dyes are used widely in US foods. In Canada and in Europe - where synthetic colors are required to carry warning labels - manufacturers mostly use natural substitutes. Several states, including California and West Virginia, have passed laws restricting the use of artificial colors in foods. Many US food companies are already reformulating their foods, according to Sensient Colors, one of the world's largest producers of food dyes and flavorings. In place of synthetic dyes, foodmakers can use natural hues made from beets, algae and crushed insects and pigments from purple sweet potatoes, radishes and red cabbage.>
Global News
3 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Kraft, General Mills set to remove artificial dyes from U.S. products
Two major food producers say that they will be pulling artificial dyes from their U.S. products starting in 2027. The shift comes nearly two months after U.S. health officials said that they would urge foodmakers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colours. Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that it will be removing artificial dyes from its U.S. products beginning in 2027 and will no longer roll out new products with the dyes. Hours later, General Mills announced that it plans to remove artificial dyes from all of its U.S. cereals and all foods served in K-12 schools by the summer of 2026. It is also looking to eliminate the dyes from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027. Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that almost 90% of its U.S. products already don't contain food, drug & cosmetic colours, but that the products that do still use the dyes will have them removed by the end of 2027. FD&C colours are synthetic additives that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in food, drugs and cosmetics. Story continues below advertisement Kraft Heinz said that many of its U.S. products that still use the FD&C colours are in its beverage and desserts categories, including certain products sold under brands including Crystal Light, Kool Aid, Jell-O and Jet Puffed. The company said that it will instead use natural colours for the products. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy '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,' Pedro Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement. Kraft Heinz stripped artificial colours, flavors and preservatives from its macaroni and cheese in 2016 and said it has never used artificial dyes in its ketchup. 3:02 Health Matters: U.S. to phase out many synthetic food dyes The company plans to work with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove the dyes. Story continues below advertisement General Mills said that the changes it is making only impacts a small portion of its K-12 school business as almost all of its school items are already made without artificial dyes. In addition, 85% of the company's U.S. foods that are sold retail are already made without dyes. '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,' Chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening said in a statement. In April Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference that the agency would take steps to eliminate the synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, largely by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry. Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. The FDA has maintained that the approved dyes are safe and that 'the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing colour additives.' The FDA currently allows 36 food colour additives, including eight synthetic dyes. In January, the agency announced that the dye known as Red 3 — used in candies, cakes and some medications — would be banned in food by 2027 because it caused cancer in laboratory rats. Story continues below advertisement Artificial dyes are used widely in U.S. foods. In Canada and in Europe — where synthetic colours are required to carry warning labels — manufacturers mostly use natural substitutes. Several states, including California and West Virginia, have passed laws restricting the use of artificial colours in foods. Many U.S. food companies are already reformulating their foods, according to Sensient Colors, one of the world's largest producers of food dyes and flavorings. In place of synthetic dyes, foodmakers can use natural hues made from beets, algae and crushed insects and pigments from purple sweet potatoes, radishes and red cabbage.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago-based Kraft Heinz pulling artificial dyes from its US products in 2027
Chicago's Kraft Heinz will be pulling artificial dyes from its U.S. products starting in 2027 and will no longer roll out new products with the dyes. The move comes nearly two months after U.S. health officials said that they would urge foodmakers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors in the nation's food supply. Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that almost 90% of its U.S. products already don't contain food, drug & cosmetic colors, but that the products that do still use the dyes will have them removed by the end of 2027. FD&C colors are synthetic additives that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in food, drugs and cosmetics. Kraft Heinz said that many of its U.S. products that still use the FD&C colors are in its beverage and desserts categories, including certain products sold under brands including Crystal Light, Kool Aid, Jell-O and Jet Puffed. The company said that it will instead use natural colors for the products. '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,' Pedro Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement. Kraft Heinz stripped artificial colors, flavors and preservatives from its macaroni and cheese in 2016 and said it has never used artificial dyes in its ketchup. The company plans to work with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove the dyes. In April Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference that the agency would take steps to eliminate the synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, largely by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry. Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. The FDA has maintained that the approved dyes are safe and that 'the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.' The FDA currently allows 36 food color additives, including eight synthetic dyes. In January, the agency announced that the dye known as Red 3 — used in candies, cakes and some medications — would be banned in food by 2027 because it caused cancer in laboratory rats. Artificial dyes are used widely in U.S. foods. In Canada and in Europe — where synthetic colors are required to carry warning labels — manufacturers mostly use natural substitutes. Several states, including California and West Virginia, have passed laws restricting the use of artificial colors in foods. Many U.S. food companies are already reformulating their foods, according to Sensient Colors, one of the world's largest producers of food dyes and flavorings. In place of synthetic dyes, foodmakers can use natural hues made from beets, algae and crushed insects and pigments from purple sweet potatoes, radishes and red cabbage.
Fast Company
3 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Why Kraft Heinz is ditching artificial food dyes — and what's driving the change
Kraft Heinz announced on Tuesday their brands will no longer release new products with synthetic or artificial food dyes, and will completely phase them out of their current products by 2027. The major food conglomerate, which owns brands like Kraft, Kool-Aid, and Jell-O, said in a statement that nearly 90% of their U.S. products are already free of FD&C colors. They say their 'signature' ketchup has never used artificial colors and has always relied solely on tomatoes for the product's bright red hue. The nearly 10% of Heinz products that use some of the 36 color additives and nine petroleum-based synthetic dyes currently approved by the FDA, include drink products such as Kool-Aid and Crystal Light, and food products such as Jell-O and Jet-Puffed. Why now? Heinz's statement comes just months after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans to 'phase out' all petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, and encouraged major food companies to do so voluntarily. The Trump Administration and RFK Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again campaign has long advocated against artificial dyes, link ing them to potential cancer risks and ADHD symptoms, like hyperactivity. Red dyes have especially been put on the chopping block, with Red No. 3 being singled out as needing to be eliminated no later than January 2027, with calls for companies to reformulate their food products. '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,' Pedro Navio, North America President of Kraft Heinz, said in a statement. 'In fact, we removed artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors from our beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016.' Who else has eliminated synthetic additives? States and companies alike are suffering pushback from the current administration and consumer market to rid their products of artificial additives— and they're seemingly obliging. Companies such as Tyson, and PepsiCo owned brands like Lay's and Tostitos, have already pledged to stop using synthetic and petroleum-based dyes by the end of this year. Other wide-reaching bans have come from states on both sides of the political aisle including California, Virginia, and West Virginia, with 23 other states actively pursuing bans. For consumers interested in the federal rules governing color additives and dyes in foods, cosmetics, and drugs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a searchable online database with up-to-date information.
3 days ago
- Business
Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from food products over next 2 years
Kraft Heinz announced on Tuesday that it would be removing artificial food dyes from its products within the next two years. The company said 10% of its products currently contain FD&C color additives, which are approved for use in food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including brands such as Crystal Light, Jell-O and Kool Aid. Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement that the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft macaroni and cheese in 2016 and that its Heinz tomato ketchup has never had artificial dyes. "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," Navio's statement read, in part. "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. … 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." It comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan in April to start phasing out eight synthetic food dyes in the American food supply. At a news conference announcing the plan, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said health agencies were looking to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings and to work with the food industry to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes used in a variety of food products. Kennedy said the agencies had reached an "understanding" with major food companies to voluntarily remove artificial food dyes from their products. It's unclear what action Kennedy could take if the companies don't comply. Shortly after Kennedy's announcement, PepsiCo's CEO said on an earnings call that the company had already begun phasing out artificial colors. In-N-Out also announced in May it was removing artificial food dyes from menu items. Other companies, like Kellogg's, have previously stated their products are safe for consumption, and they are following federal standards set by the FDA. Last month, the FDA approved two dyes and expanded approval of a third, meaning it can now be used in a wider range of food products. Some studies have linked dyes to behavioral changes in children as well as to cancer in animals, suggesting this could extend to humans. Some nutritionists and dietitians say that it's best to avoid artificial food dyes, while others say more research needs to be done and the potential negative effects are still unclear.
