Five iconic American food and drink brands set for major change as RFK Jr sets his sights on cancer dyes
Kraft Heinz, the company behind Kraft Mac and Cheese and Heinz ketchup, announced it will remove artificial colors from its products by 2027.
Products that currently use these dyes include Kool Aid, Crystal Light, MiO, Jet-Puffed marshmallows and Jell-O.
Kraft Heinz, which said nearly 90 percent of its US products are already free of artificial colors or synthetic dyes, also pledged it would not launch any new products with artificial colors in the US effective immediately.
Used in the American food supply for decades to give treats an appealing hue, in recent years concerns have been raised over the health effects of food dyes - including animal studies suggesting they can cause hyperactivity, cancer and other health problems.
The move from Kraft Heinz comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr outlined plans to ban synthetic food dyes from the US food supply as part of a broader move to address chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
Many packaged food companies, including W.K. Kellogg and Tyson Foods have been working on reformulating existing products and introducing new items without artificial dyes.
Earlier this month, Walmart-owned Sam's Club said it would eliminate over 40 ingredients, including artificial colors and aspartame, from its private label brand Member's Mark, by the end of this year.
Kraft Heinz said that for the small portion of products that currently contain artificial colors it plans to remove the dyes where they are not critical, or replace them with natural colors.
The Jell-O maker added it would also look to reinvent products with new colors where a matching natural replacement is not available.
It said the company was also working with its brand licensees to encourage them to remove artificial colors as well.
Commenting on the move, the company's North America president Pedro Navio said: '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.
'The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we've been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio.
'In fact, we removed artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors from our beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016.
'Our iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never had artificial dyes – the red color comes simply from the world's best tomatoes.
'Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don't take lightly.'
Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in children.
The FDA has maintained that the approved dyes are safe and that 'the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.'
The FDA currently allows 36 food color additives, including eight synthetic dyes.
In January, the agency announced that the dye known as Red 3 — used in candies, cakes and some medications — would be banned in food by 2027 because it caused cancer in laboratory rats.
Artificial dyes are used widely in US foods, but in Canada and Europe — where synthetic colors are required to carry warning labels — manufacturers mostly use natural substitutes.
Several states, including California and West Virginia, have passed laws restricting the use of artificial colors in foods.
FDA Commissioner Dr Marty Makary announced in April that the agency will phase out the use of eight artificial food dyes in America's food supply within the next two years.
The massive shakeup will free children from the 'toxic soup' that makes up much of America's food supply, Dr Makary said.
Dr Makary, a trained surgeon, began his remarks by calling attention to an oft-cited review in The Lancet, which reported ties between artificial food dyes and hyperactivity in children.
'So why are we taking a gamble,' Makary said.
The Trump administration will ask food companies to phase out the use of Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 by the end of 2026 and start using natural alternatives, which the FDA will approve or deny first.
The move is not legally binding and companies do not have to comply.
'For companies that are currently using petroleum based red dye, try watermelon juice or beet juice,' Makary said, lifting small bottles of juice off his podium. 'For companies currently combining petroleum-based yellow chemical and red dyes together, try carrot juice.'
The latest proposal also revokes approval for two dyes, citrus red 2 and orange B, which are not as common as the other dyes.
The FDA has not reached any formal agreement with the food industry to carry out these goals, though they apparently have 'an understanding,' and the agency has not put forward a detailed plan for achieving them.
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