Associated Press Business Writer Michelle Chapman
Starting in 2027, Kraft Heinz will no longer be pulling artificial dyes from US products and will no longer be deploying new dyes.
The move comes nearly two months after U.S. health officials said they would urge food manufacturers to phase out oil-based artificial colors in their food supplies.
Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that almost 90% of US products already contain no food, drug or cosmetic colors, but products that use dyes will be removed by the end of 2027. The FD&C color said it is a synthetic additive approved by US food and drug administration, which is used in food, drugs and blood sucking income.
Kraft Heinz said many of the US products still using FD&C colors are in its beverage and dessert categories, including certain products sold under brands such as Crystal Light, Kool Aid, Jell-O and Jet Puffed.
The company said it would use natural colors for its products instead.
“The majority of our products use natural or no colours. We have been on a journey to reduce the use of FD&C colours for the rest of our portfolio,” said Pedro Navio, North American President of Kraft Heinz in a statement.
Kraftheinz said he had never used artificial dyes in ketchup in 2016, stripping off the artificial colors, flavors and preservatives of macaroni and cheese.
The company will work with the brand’s licensee to encourage the removal of dyes.
In April, Food and Drug Director Marty McCurry said at a press conference that he would take steps to eliminate synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, primarily by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry.
Health advocates have long sought to remove artificial dyes from food, citing mixed studies that show that in some children it can cause neurological problems, including hyperactivity and attentional issues. The FDA argues that approved dyes are safe and “the wholeness of scientific evidence indicates that most children do not have a negative effect when consuming foods containing color additives.”
The FDA currently allows 36 food color additives containing eight synthetic dyes. In January, the agency announced that a dye known as Red 3 (used in candies, cakes and several drugs) would be banned in food by 2027 as it caused cancer in laboratory rats.
Artificial dyes are widely used in foods in the US. In Canada and Europe, manufacturers primarily use natural alternatives when synthetic colors are required to carry warning labels. Several states, including California and West Virginia, have passed laws restricting the use of artificial colors in food.
Many US food companies have already reformulated their food, according to Sensory Color, one of the world’s largest producers of food dyes and flavors. Instead of synthetic dyes, food makers can use natural tints made from beets, algae, purple sweet potatoes, radish, algae made from red cabbage, and crushed insects and pigments.
Original issue: June 17, 2025 9:48am EDT
