Latest news with #foodreformulation
Al Arabiya
01-07-2025
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Hershey to remove synthetic dyes from its snacks by 2027
Hershey Co will remove synthetic dyes from its snacks by the end of 2027, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, making it the latest in a growing list of companies seeking to align with directives from US health authorities. In April, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary rolled out plans to remove synthetic food dyes from the US food supply to address health conditions such as ADHD, obesity and diabetes. 'Removing these colors is a natural next step in our program to ensure consumers have options to fit their lifestyle while maintaining trust and confidence in our products,' Hershey's spokesperson said in a statement to Bloomberg. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Hershey did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours. Hershey's snack brands include Dot's Homestyle Pretzels, SKINNYPOP popcorn and FULFIL protein bars. Several firms, including W.K. Kellogg, Tyson Foods, Conagra Brands, Nestle USA and General Mills have been actively reformulating their product portfolio to exclude artificial colors and are introducing new items free of synthetic dyes.
Associated Press
25-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Nestle says it will remove artificial dyes from US foods by 2026
Nestle said Wednesday it will eliminate artificial colors from its U.S. food and beverages by the middle of 2026. It's the latest big food company making that pledge. Last week, Kraft Heinz and General Mills said they would remove artificial dyes from their U.S. products by 2027. General Mills also said it plans to remove artificial dyes from its U.S. cereals and from all foods served in K-12 schools by the middle of 2026. The move has broad support. About two-thirds of Americans favor restricting or reformulating processed foods to remove ingredients like added sugar or dyes, according to an AP-NORC poll. Both California and West Virginia have recently banned artificial dyes in foods served in schools. On Sunday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed a bill requiring foods made with artificial dyes or additives to contain a new safety label starting in 2027. The label would say they contain ingredients 'not recommended for human consumption' in Australia, Canada, the European Union or the U.K. The federal government is also stepping up its scrutiny of artificial colors. In January, days before President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. regulators banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation's food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk. In April, Trump's Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency would take steps to eliminate synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, largely by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry. Nestle has pledged to remove artificial dyes before. Early in 2015, the company said it would remove artificial flavors and colors from its products by the end of that year. But the promise didn't hold. Nestle said Wednesday it's been removing synthetic dyes from its products over the last decade, and 90% of its U.S. portfolio doesn't contain them. Among those that do is Nesquik Banana Strawberry milk, which is made with Red 3. Nestle said Wednesday it wants to evolve with its U.S. customers' changing nutritional needs and preferences. 'Serving and delighting people is at the heart of everything we do and every decision that we make,' Nestle's U.S. CEO Marty Thompson said in a statement.
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Five iconic American food and drink brands set for major change as RFK Jr sets his sights on cancer dyes
The company behind some of America's most iconic foods has announced a major recipe overhaul that may leave some of your favorite snacks looking a little different. 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.
CTV News
17-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Kraft Heinz to stop launching new products with artificial colours
Kraft Heinz said on Tuesday it would not launch products with artificial colors in the United States effective immediately and would aim to eliminate synthetic dyes from existing items by the end of 2027. The Ketchup maker said that nearly 90 per cent of its U.S. product net sales are already free of food, drug and cosmetic colours, also known as artificial colors or synthetic dyes. This move comes a few months after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. outlined plans to remove synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply as part of a broader move to address chronic diseases and conditions such as obesity among Americans. 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. In early June, 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 that 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. (Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)
Zawya
17-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Kraft Heinz to stop launching new products with artificial colors
Kraft Heinz said on Tuesday it would not launch products with artificial colors in the United States effective immediately, and would aim to eliminate synthetic dyes from existing items by the end of 2027. The Ketchup maker said that nearly 90% of its U.S. product net sales are already free of food, drug & cosmetic colors — also known as artificial colors or synthetic dyes. This move comes a few months after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. outlined plans to remove synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply as part of a broader move to address chronic diseases and conditions such as obesity among Americans. 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. In early June, 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 that 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. (Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)
