Latest news with #PedroNavio
Miami Herald
14 minutes ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Kraft Heinz announces drastic change to food products
Kraft Heinz (KHC) , which owns popular brands such as Kool-Aid, Jell-O, and Oscar Mayer, is embracing a growing consumer trend that is starting to impact the sales of major food companies. Many consumers across the country have become more health-conscious about the food and beverages they consume, a trend that began to blossom after the start of the Covid pandemic. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter A survey by the International Food Information Council last year found that 79% of Americans consider whether a food product is processed when deciding to purchase it. Related: Kellogg sounds alarm on unexpected shift in customer behavior Also, 63% of Americans avoid processed foods, while more than half follow a vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based diet to be healthier. As more consumers focus on health, synthetic dyes such as Blue 1, Red 40, and Yellow 6, which are commonly found in processed foods, have recently faced scrutiny on social media for being linked to health issues such as cancer and hyperactivity in children, despite being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Amid these concerns, Kraft Heinz revealed in a new press release that it will no longer launch new products in the U.S. that contain artificial colors. While Kraft Heinz claims that about 90% of its products don't contain artificial colors, it said it is committed to removing these ingredients from all of its U.S. products "before the end of 2027." Kraft Heinz also said it will be "reinventing new colors and shades where matching natural replacements are not available." "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 North America President Pedro Navio in the release. "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." Related: PepsiCo CEO addresses major customer concerns amid low sales The move from Kraft Heinz comes after its net sales in the U.S. decreased by 7% year-over-year during the first quarter of 2025. The decision also comes after U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in April his plans to ban artificial dyes from all U.S. food products by the end of this year. "For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent," said Kennedy in an April press release. "These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children's health and development. That era is coming to an end." The massive shift towards healthier foods has recently impacted the sales of major food companies. During an earnings call in February, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said there has been a "higher level of awareness" among American consumers about health and wellness, which is impacting sales. More Food + Dining: Domino's Pizza unveils generous deal amid alarming consumer trendSteak 'n Shake's beef tallow fries aren't as healthy as they appearThe Cheesecake Factory makes bittersweet changes to its menu "We're seeing more conversation in social media about health and wellness, in general, and obviously, that's impacting consumption of food and consumption of beverages," said Laguarta. The company also recently announced a commitment to phasing out artificial colors from several of its products. In May, Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick even warned investors that the company's cereal brands faced lower sales as consumers shifted to newer cereal brands that focus more on health and nutrition. During an earnings call on May 6, Pilnick said he doesn't believe the trend will die down anytime soon. "In our category, what we're also seeing is some of our consumers are also willing to pay more," said Pilnick. "It's an interest in health and nutrition. I think that's going to continue. I think this is simply the continuation of a trend that we saw coming that at some point started to accelerate." Related: Sam's Club makes big change to products as customers switch gears The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Al Etihad
an hour ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
Kraft Heinz to eliminate all chemical dyes in its food products over next two years
17 June 2025 23:28 (THE NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE)Kraft Heinz, the American food giant best known for its ketchup and boxed Mac & Cheese, said Tuesday it would remove all chemical dyes from its products by the end of company said the shift would affect only about 10 percent of its portfolio by sales.A spokesperson confirmed it would affect brands like Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Crystal Light and items that contain dyes like Red No. 40 and Blue No. Heinz is the first major food company to officially announce plans to stop using artificial April, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, said he had reached "an understanding' with food manufacturers to remove commonly used artificial food dyes from their products by has long criticised the artificial dyes used in processed foods as part of a larger food system he says contributes to chronic disease and poor like other food and beverage giants, will face myriad challenges in trying to replicate its bright red cherry Kool-Aid or the orange in its Crystal Light drink mixes from natural sources. Food coloring experts caution that it can be tricky to match the shades with natural ingredients, could require changes in formulations and may be more costly as it takes significantly more natural ingredients to achieve the bright, saturated hues found in artificial which quietly and successfully removed artificial colors from its popular bright orange macaroni and cheese product in 2016 by switching to turmeric and paprika, said it would not introduce any new products using synthetic dyes, effective immediately. "The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors,' Pedro Navio, the president of North America at Kraft Heinz, said. He noted that the company had been moving to reduce the use of artificial colors across its portfolio.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kraft Heinz to remove all artificial dyes from its products by end of 2027
The Kraft Heinz Company said it will remove all artificial dyes from its products by the end of 2027 and will not launch any new products with those ingredients. The company said in a press release that about 10% of its products still use FD&C colors, the additives that make foods more visually appealing. A spokesperson told CNBC the products that still use the dyes include Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, MiO, Jell-O and Jet-Puffed. '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,' said Pedro Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz. The company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft Mac & Cheese in 2016, and its Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never used artificial dyes, Navio said. Kraft Heinz said it is also working with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove FD&C colors. In April, U.S. health officials said they would urge food makers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors in the nation's food supply The FDA currently allows 36 food color additives, including eight synthetic dyes. In January, the agency announced that Red 3, the popular food dye that gives cherry-flavored drinks and foods the vibrant red color, will be banned in food by 2027 because it caused cancer in laboratory rats. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
The Hill
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Kraft Heinz eliminating chemical dyes: What to know
Kraft Heinz, one of the country's largest food and beverage companies, said Tuesday it will stop using artificial dyes in its U.S. products by 2027 and will not launch new products that contain them. '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,' Kraft Heinz North America President Pedro Navio said in a statement, adding 'the vast majority of our products use natural or no colors.' The shift will affect about 10 percent of Kraft Heinz products sold — most prominently the company's vibrant Kool-Aid brand drink mixes and Jell-O brand flavored gelatin dessert mixes. But some of the company's most popular products won't be affected. Kraft Heinz removed artificial colors from Kraft Mac & Cheese products nearly a decade ago, and Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never used artificial dyes, relying instead on tomatoes and spices for its deep red color. The company outlined what it described as its 'three-pronged approach' to phase out the dyes it still uses: removing unnecessary color additives, replacing artificial colors with natural colors and releasing new colors and shades for products when existing colors can't be replicated with natural ones. The shift comes amid a growing public aversion to artificial food dyes, including ones that have been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for decades, and an anti-dye push from key officials in President Trump's administration. Consumer research group Civic Science released survey data last month that showed 67 percent of U.S. adults polled said they are concerned about food dyes in what they eat, and several states have approved bans on specific dyes in foods. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials announced an effort in April to pressure producers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors. FDA commissioner Marty Makary cited studies on synthetically altered foods as evidence that vibrant colors produced in foods can 'mess with the child's developing brain to make ultra-processed foods more attractive, even when the child already feels full.' 'These studies have associated food colors directly with obesity and diabetes,' he said. Kennedy, a long-time critic of food additives, said companies have been responsive to the administration's push to phase them out. 'Food dye is just a no-brainer,' he said. 'We're really happy with the reception; I think they're ready to change the industry.' Kraft Heinz said it was already pursuing options to rely on more natural alternatives, as displayed in its shifts away from Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) dyes for other products. '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,' Navio said.
Int'l Business Times
4 hours ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Jell-O, Kool-Aid Will No Longer Contain 'Artificial' Food Dyes After RFK Jr Pressured Kraft Heinz Executives
Kraft Heinz products, including Jell-O and Kool-Aid, will no longer contain "artificial" food dyes after Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urged its executives to eliminate harmful ingredients or face regulatory action. The multinational food and beverage conglomerate announced Tuesday that it will remove all artificial coloring from its products by 2027. Until then, it will not release any new foods that contain synthetic dyes either. "The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we've been on a journey to reduce our use of (artificial) colors across the remainder of our portfolio," CEO Pedro Navio said in a statement. Navio added that the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from Kraft Mac & Cheese in 2016. The corporation is "also working with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove [Food, Drug & Cosmetic] colors." The move follows a March meeting in which RFK Jr met with executives from several major food companies, including Kraft Heinz and General Mills, to push for the removal of what he called the "worst ingredients" from processed foods, according to reporting by Bloomberg. Following the meeting, Melissa Hockstad, CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, noted in a letter that the Health Secretary "made clear his intention to take action unless the industry is willing to be proactive with solutions." Originally published on Latin Times
