Kellogg says it will remove artificial dyes from cereals by the end of 2027
WK Kellogg Co. has announced that they will stop using artificial dyes in its breakfast cereals by the end of 2027, according to a statement from the company.
The maker of Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies, just to name a few, said that they are evolving their portfolio of cereals “to provide consumers with more of what they want and need -- such as whole grains and fiber and less of what they don’t.”
“Today, the vast majority -- 85 percent -- of our cereal sales contain no FD&C colors and none of our products have contained Red No. 3 for years,” Kellogg said in their statement making the announcement. “We are committed to continue working with HHS and FDA to identify effective solutions to remove FD&C colors from foods.”
Kellogg pledged that they will be reformulating their cereals served in schools to not include FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year, that they will not be launching any new products with FD&C colors beginning in January 2026 and that they plan on removing all FD&C colors from their products by the end of 2027, according to their announcement.
“We are proud that our cereals provide consumers with important nutrients such as Iron, Vitamin D and Folate,” Kellogg said. “Kellogg’s cereals have played an important role in U.S. consumers’ lives for more than a century, and we look forward to continuing that tradition.”
The change comes amid a push from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to crack down on synthetic food additives as part of his initiative to "Make America Healthy Again." Among those efforts are proposals to phase out artificial food dyes in favor of natural alternatives.
In June, Kraft Heinz and General Mills announced plans to remove artificial food dyes from some products within the next two years. Several other large food manufacturers -- including PepsiCo, ConAgra, The Hershey Company, McCormick & Co., J.M. Smucker, Nestlé USA and more -- have announced similar plans in recent months.
As of May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three additional color additives from natural sources that are in line with the Department of Health and Human Services' goals, which can be used in a wide range of products from gum to breakfast cereal.
Just last month, Mars Wrigley North America announced that products across four categories of its popular treats -- gum, fruity confections and chocolate candy -- will be made "without Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors" starting in 2026.
The first of their brands to be available without without FD&C colors will include M&M's Chocolate, Skittles Original, Extra Gum Spearmint and Starburst Original fruit chews, the company said.
ABC News' Kelly McCarthy contributed to this report.
