Latest news with #WKKelloggCo.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Kellogg says it will remove artificial dyes from cereals by the end of 2027
NEW YORK — WK Kellogg Co. plans to remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the next two and a half years, according to the company and the attorney general of Texas. The maker of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks gave the timeline as U.S. food producers face increasing pressure from the U.S. government and consumers to phase out synthetic colorings from their products. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Wednesday that Kellogg had signed an agreement assuring his office that the Michigan-based company would 'permanently remove toxic dyes' from its cereals by the end of 2027. Paxton launched an investigation earlier this year into whether Kellogg violated state consumer protection laws by continuing to use blue, red, yellow, green, and orange artificial dyes. Around the same time, U.S. health officials said that they would urge foodmakers to voluntarily work toward removing petroleum-based colors. Both Kellogg and General Mills, another major U.S. cereal maker, said they would. General Mills later joined Kraft Heinz, Nestle, Smuckers and some other food manufacturers in announcing target dates for making all their products without artificial dyes. But Paxton's office said Kellogg was the first to sign a 'legally binding' agreement. 'Following months of investigating and negotiating, I'm proud to officially say Kellogg's will stop putting these unhealthy ingredients in its cereals,' the attorney general said in a statement. Details about the terms of the agreement Kellogg signed, which is legally known as an assurance of voluntary compliance, were not immediately clear. The company did not comment on it directly when reached by The Associated Press on Thursday but said it appreciates 'the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Texas AG's office and share their focus on health and wellness.' Kellogg also pointed to its earlier commitment to phase out FD&C dyes, which are synthetic additives that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for use in food, drugs and cosmetics. It said it already planned to stop launching new products with the dyes in January. 'We have announced we are reformulating our cereals served in schools to not include FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year,' Kellogg said in an emailed statement Thursday. By the end of 2027, 'we will completely remove FD&C colors from the small percentage of our foods that contain them today.' According to Kellogg's website, 85% of the cereal the company sells contains no FD&C colors — and none of its products have included Red No. 3 for years. Federal regulators banned that dye from food in January. Synthetic dyes have long been used to make brightly colored cereals, drinks, candies, baked goods and even products like cough syrup. But health advocates have called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. The FDA has maintained that its currently 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.' Pressure on the food industry has increased since Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken critic of such synthetic additives, became President Donald Trump's health secretary. Grantham-Philips writes for the Associated Press.
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
Kellogg says it will remove artificial dyes from cereals by the end of 2027
NEW YORK (AP) — WK Kellogg Co. plans to remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the next two and a half years, according to the company and the attorney general of Texas. The maker of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks gave the timeline as U.S. food producers face increasing pressure from the U.S. government and consumers to phase out synthetic colorings from their products. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Wednesday that Kellogg had signed an agreement assuring his office that the Michigan-based company would 'permanently remove toxic dyes' from its cereals by the end of 2027.
4 days ago
- Business
Kellogg says it will remove artificial dyes from cereals by the end of 2027
NEW YORK -- WK Kellogg Co. plans to remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the next two and a half years, according to the company and the attorney general of Texas. The maker of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks gave the timeline as U.S. food producers face increasing pressure from the U.S. government and consumers to phase out synthetic colorings from their products. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Wednesday that Kellogg had signed an agreement assuring his office that the Michigan-based company would 'permanently remove toxic dyes" from its cereals by the end of 2027. Paxton launched an investigation earlier this year into whether Kellogg violated state consumer protection laws by continuing to use blue, red, yellow, green, and orange artificial dyes. Around the same time, U.S. health officials said that they would urge foodmakers to voluntarily work toward removing petroleum-based colors. Both Kellogg and General Mills, another major U.S. cereal maker, said they would. General Mills later joined Kraft Heinz, Nestle, Smuckers and some other food manufacturers in announcing target dates for making all their products without artificial dyes. But Paxton's office said Kellogg was the first to sign a 'legally binding' agreement. 'Following months of investigating and negotiating, I'm proud to officially say Kellogg's will stop putting these unhealthy ingredients in its cereals,' the attorney general said in a statement. Details about the terms of the agreement Kellogg signed, which is legally known as an assurance of voluntary compliance, were not immediately clear. The company did not comment on it directly when reached by The Associated Press on Thursday but said it appreciates 'the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Texas AG's office and share their focus on health and wellness.' Kellogg also pointed to its earlier commitment to phase out FD&C dyes, which are synthetic additives that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for use in food, drugs and cosmetics. It said it already planned to stop launching new products with the dyes in January. 'We have announced we are reformulating our cereals served in schools to not include FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year,' Kellogg said in an emailed statement Thursday. By the end of 2027, 'we will completely remove FD&C colors from the small percentage of our foods that contain them today.' According to Kellogg's website, 85% of the cereal the company sells contains no FD&C colors — and none of its products have included Red No. 3 for years. Federal regulators banned that dye from food in January. Synthetic dyes have long been used to make brightly colored cereals, drinks, candies, baked goods and even products like cough syrup. But health advocates have called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. The FDA has maintained that its currently 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.' Pressure on the food industry has increased since Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken critic of such synthetic additives, became President Donald Trump's health secretary.
Miami Herald
10-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Michigan's WK Kellogg cereal maker set to be bought by Italian candymaker Ferrero
WK Kellogg Co., the cereal giant, is set to be acquired by the Italian candymaker behind Ferrero Rocher in a nearly $3 billion deal, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. A deal with parent Ferrero SpA, the maker of Butterfinger candy bars and Nutella hazelnut spread, could be finalized as soon as this week, according to reports. Shares in Kellogg, the Battle Creek, Michigan-based maker of Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops and other breakfast cereals, closed Wednesday at $17.50, but skyrocketed more than 50% in after-hours trading on news of a prospective deal. Phone and email requests by The Detroit News to Ferrero in Italy and Kellogg in Battle Creek were not immediately returned Wednesday. The deal, if confirmed by the companies, would mark another potential loss for corporate Michigan and its ability to retain such heritage companies as Kellogg. Historically, acquisitions of Michigan companies lead to fewer jobs and less local investment. Kellogg, which has a market value of roughly $1.5 billion and about $500 million in debt, employs nearly 700 people in Michigan, according to recent reports. Two years ago, the landmark cereal maker was split into two companies - Battle Creek-based WK Kellogg and Kellanova, based in Chicago and Battle Creek, which announced a nearly $30 billion sale to Mars Inc. last year. Under the split, officials said then, WK Kellogg would focus on cereals like Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes in North America, while Kellanova would focus on snack foods and growth opportunities in foreign markets. "WK Kellogg Co. has a 117-year legacy of innovation and the soul of a start-up, with an organization incredibly energized by our future," Gary Pilnick, WK Kellogg Co.'s chairman and CEO, said in September 2023 when the separation was formally approved. "As a standalone company, we will benefit immediately from the executional advantages of increased focus and end-to-end integration, while we modernize our supply chain and substantially improve our profit margins. We're on a profitable journey to take this great business to the next level." WK Kellogg has been under scrutiny in the United States amid U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s criticism of artificial dyes in food. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in April launched an investigation into dyes in Kellogg cereals. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
NBC News
10-07-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Italian chocolate giant Ferrero to buy Kellogg's Froot Loops maker
What's 'Froot Loops' in Italian? The European confectionary company Ferrero has agreed to buy WK Kellogg Co., the manufacturer of iconic American cereals, for $3.1 billion. The acquisition is set to bring the publicly traded maker of Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies under the privately owned Italian manufacturer of Nutella, Tic Tacs and Kinder chocolates. WK Kellogg, based in Battle Creek, Michigan, was spun off from Kellogg's in 2023, splitting the company's North American cereal business from its other snack products like Pringles and Pop-Tarts, a unit that is now owned by the publicly traded conglomerate Kellanova. WK Kellogg, one of North America's largest cereal makers, saw its shares surge more than 30% Thursday on the news of the deal. The agreement comes after years of slowing demand for sugary breakfast cereals as many consumers look for healthier options. WK Kellogg came under fire last year when CEO Gary Pilnick said on CNBC that households squeezed by food companies' price hikes should consider eating 'cereal for dinner' to save money, part of a marketing pitch the company was making as an answer to inflation. Yet snack demand, too, has flagged recently, with The Campbell's Co. and General Mills each warning this year of slower sales as customers prioritize square meals. Ferrero, perhaps best known for its namesake Ferrero Rocher chocolates in gold foil, originated in Alba, Italy, after World War II and is now a multinational food maker headquartered in Luxembourg. The company reported revenue of €18.4 billion last fiscal year, up nearly 9% from the one before. Ferrero executive chairman Giovanni Ferrero described the acquisition Thursday as 'a key milestone' in an effort to grow its footprint in North America, where the closely held company sells an array of popular candies. The deal is among a series of high-profile Ferrero acquisitions in recent years. The firm bought Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and other U.S. candy brands from Nestle in 2018, then acquired Kellogg's bakery business, including Famous Amos and Keebler's, in 2019 along with the manufacturer of Halo Top ice cream in 2022. After the transaction closes, WK Kellogg will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrero. The deal is expected to close later this year.
