Changes date line from July 23, adds details on Mars in the table
Aug 14 (Reuters) - Packaged food makers in the U.S. have rolled out plans to eliminate the use of FD&C colors - a category of synthetic dyes - from their products, responding to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again initiative and changing consumer preferences.In April, Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency aims to remove artificial food colors from the food supply against the backdrop of mounting concerns about their potential links to health issues such as ADHD, obesity and diabetes. Here are the companies that are preparing to eliminate synthetic dyes from their food products in the U.S.:
Company | Comment | Target Year |
Mars | To introduce products made without artificial colors that will be available in the U.S. across its gum, fruity confection and chocolate candy categories from brands including Extra, Skittles, Starburst and M&M's. | In 2026 |
Hershey HSY.N | Plans to remove synthetic dyes from snacks. | End of 2027 |
J.M. Smucker SJM.N | Smucker said it would remove synthetic food colors from all consumer food products, and that it is working to stop selling products with synthetic dyes to K-12 schools by the 2026-2027 school year. | End of 2027 |
Conagra Brands CAG.N | Will remove synthetic dyes from U.S. frozen product portfolio and eliminate using artificial colors in food served to K-12 schools by 2026-27. | End of 2027 |
Nestlé USA NESN.S | To fully eliminate synthetic food colors from its U.S. food and beverage portfolio. Over 90% of current categories already dye-free, the company said. | Mid-2026 |
General Mills GIS.N | Cheerios maker will remove artificial colors from its entire U.S. retail business and eliminate the use of synthetic dyes from all its U.S. cereals and foods served in K-12 schools by summer 2026. | End of 2027 |
Kraft Heinz KHC.N | Will not launch new products with artificial colors in the U.S. and aims to eliminate synthetic dyes from existing items. | End of 2027 |
Sam's Club WMT.N | Walmart-owned Sam's Club will eliminate over 40 ingredients, including artificial colors and aspartame, from private label brand Member's Mark. | End of 2025 |
Tyson Foods TSN.N | Company said it would reformulate food products containing petroleum-based synthetic dyes. | End of May, 2025 |
WK Kellogg KLG.N | Will remove FD&C colors from foods that contain them by the end of 2027, and will not launch new products with the colors from January 2026. Reformulating cereals served in schools to exclude synthetic dyes. | By the end of 2027 |
PepsiCo PEP.O | Will remove artificial colors from K-12 schools food portfolio, starting this upcoming school season. To migrate the portfolio to natural colors or at least provide the consumer with natural color options. | By next couple of years |
Kellanova K.N | On track to remove synthetic colors from U.S. K-12 foods within the 2026/27 school year and from retail foods by 2027-end | By December 31, 2027 |
(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry, Neil J Kanatt and Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
((AnujaBharat.Mistry@thomsonreuters.com))