Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes in U.S.

Craft Heinz On Tuesday, he said that FD&C artificial dyes will be removed from the products by the end of 2027 and will not fire new products in the US containing those ingredients.

In its release, the company said that around 10% of US items use FD&C colors. This is a synthetic additive that makes many foods more visually appealing. According to a Kraft Heinz spokesperson, Kraft Heinz brands that sell products with these dyes include Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Mio, Jell-O and Jet-Puffed.

According to Pedro Navio, North American President of Kraft Heinz, the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in 2016, and Heinz Ketchup never used artificial dyes. It is unclear how removing dyes will affect the company’s business, as consumers can perceive the product as healthier but may not be drawn much in dull colors.

The decision follows pressure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to bring back the bigger, so-called dyes, to America’s health.

In April, the FDA announced plans to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of next year and replace them with natural alternatives. In addition to the previously banned red No. 3, other dyes to be removed include 40 red dyes, 5 yellow dyes, 6 yellow dyes, 1 blue dye, 2 blue dyes, 2 green dyes, and 2 FDA Commissioner Marty McCurry at the time.

Kennedy said at the time that the FDA and the food industry had “understanding” rather than formal agreements to remove artificial dyes. Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services discussed the removal of artificial food dyes during a meeting with top food executives of companies, including Kraft Heinz, during a March meeting. PepsiCo North America, General Mills, WK Kellogg, Tyson Foods, JM Smucker Consumer Brands Association is the industry’s leading trading group.

A Kraft Heinz spokesman said Tuesday that the company is looking forward to partnering with the administration “to provide quality, affordable and healthy food to everyone.”

Momentum for food dyes has been building for years. In January, before President Donald Trump and Kennedy took office, the FDA announced a ban on the use of red dyes in food and the use of drugs ingested. The dye gives a lot of candy and gives the cereal a bright red colour, but is also known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. The FDA has already banned dyes in 2023, but has allowed Red No. 3 to be made available for use by food manufacturers for many years.

Kraft Heinz said in its release Tuesday that it has made more than 1,000 recipe changes over the past five years to improve the nutrition of its products.

“The majority of our products use natural or no colours and we are on a journey to reduce FD&C colour usage for the rest of our portfolio,” says Navio. “More than anything, we focus on providing Americans with nutritious, affordable, great appetizing foods, which is a privilege we don’t underestimate.”