Kraft Heinz and General Mills to remove artificial dyes from all products by 2027

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Kraft Heinz and General Mills have pledged to eliminate artificial food dyes across their entire US product portfolios by the end of 2027, aligning with mounting regulatory pressure and a shift in consumer demand for cleaner, healthier products.

The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Earlier this year, Kennedy reportedly met with leading US food manufacturers to encourage the removal of artificial dyes before the end of his term in 2028.

In a parallel move, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April introduced plans to phase out petroleum-based dyes by the end of 2026, stating it was “establishing a national standard and timeline” for the food industry to transition to natural alternatives.

Reformulation and reinvention

Kraft Heinz, whose brands include Kraft Mac & Cheese, Heinz Ketchup and Capri-Sun, confirmed it has already stopped launching new US products containing FD&C (Food, Drug, and Cosmetic) colour additives.

“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,” said Pedro Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz.

“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 continued. “In fact, we removed artificial colours, preservatives, and flavours from our beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016. Our iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never had artificial dyes – the red colour comes simply from the world’s best tomatoes.”

Currently, nearly 90 percent of Kraft Heinz’s US products by net sales are free from synthetic dyes. For those that still contain FD&C colours, the company is applying a three-pronged approach: removing artificial colours where possible, replacing them with natural alternatives, or reinventing shades where no natural match exists.

The company has also reformulated more than 1,000 products to improve nutritional value, with a target to cut nearly 55 million pounds of sugar from its portfolio by the end of 2025. Kraft Heinz said it is working with licensees of its brands to encourage similar changes.

Kennedy’s reaction

On Tuesday, Kennedy praised Kraft Heinz’ decision, writing on X:

This voluntary step – phasing out harmful dyes in brands like Kool-Aid, Jell-O, and Crystal Light – proves that when the government sets clear, science-based standards, the food industry listens and acts.”

 “I urge more companies to follow this lead and put the well-being of American families first. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again.”

General Mills follows suit

On the same day, General Mills issued a similar commitment. The food giant, known for cereals such as Cheerios, Trix and Lucky Charms, pledged to eliminate “certified colours” – those approved by the FDA – from its US cereals and K-12 school foods by summer 2026, and from its entire US retail portfolio by the end of 2027.

According to the company, 85 percent of its US retail range and “nearly all” school-focused products are already free from synthetic 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,” said Jeff Harmening, Chairman and CEO.

“Today, the vast majority of our foods are made without certified colours and we’re working to ensure that will soon apply to our full portfolio. Knowing the trust families place in us, we are leading the way on removing certified colours in cereals and K-12 foods by next summer.”