Feb 27 (Reuters) – U.S. packaged food makers and retailers have rolled out plans to eliminate the use of ingredients such as FD&C colors — a category of synthetic dyes — and sweeteners like corn syrup from their products, responding to the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative and changing consumer preferences.
Retail giant Target on Friday became the latest, saying it will only carry cereals made without certified synthetic colors.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the U.S. health regulator had said in April last year the agency aims to remove ingredients, including artificial food colors, citing concerns about a possible link with health conditions like ADHD, obesity and diabetes, an area many scientists say requires more research.
Kennedy has also criticized excessive sugar consumption in the American diet.
Here are the companies that are preparing to eliminate synthetic dyes and artificial sweeteners from their food products in the U.S.
Company Comment Target Year
It End of
Target would May, 2026
sell
only cereals made
without certified
synthetic colors.
Mars To introduce In 2026
products made
without artificial
colors that will be
available in the
U.S. across its
gum, fruity
confection and
chocolate candy
categories from
brands including
Extra, Skittles,
Starburst and
M&M’s.
Hershey Plans to remove End of 2027
synthetic dyes from
snacks.
J.M. Smucker Smucker said it End of 2027
would remove
synthetic food
colors from all
consumer food
products, and that
it is working to
stop selling
products with
synthetic dyes to
K-12 schools by the
2026-2027 school
year.
Conagra Brands Will remove End of 2027
synthetic dyes from
U.S. frozen product
portfolio and
eliminate using
artificial colors
in food served to
K-12 schools by
2026-27.
Nestle USA To fully eliminate Mid-2026
synthetic food
colors from its
U.S. food and
beverage portfolio.
Over 90% of current
categories already
dye-free, the
company said.
General Mills Cheerios maker will End of 2027
remove artificial
colors from its
entire U.S. retail
business and
eliminate the use
of synthetic dyes
from all its U.S.
cereals and foods
served in K-12
schools by summer
2026.
Kraft Heinz Will End of 2027
not launch new
products with
artificial colors
in the U.S. and
aims to eliminate
synthetic dyes from
existing items.
Sam’s Club Walmart-owned Sam’s End of 2025
Club will eliminate
over 40
ingredients,
including
artificial colors
and aspartame, from
private label brand
Member’s Mark.
Tyson Foods Company said it End of May, 2025
will reformulate
food products
containing
petroleum-based
synthetic dyes.
Company said it By the end of 2025
will stop using
high fructose corn
syrup, sucralose,
BHA/BHT and
titanium dioxide in
its branded
products in U.S.
WK Kellogg Will remove FD&C By the end of 2027
colors from foods
that contain them
by the end of 2027,
and will not launch
new products with
the colors from
January 2026.
Reformulating
cereals served in
schools to exclude
synthetic dyes.
PepsiCo Will remove By next couple of
artificial colors years
from K-12 schools
food portfolio,
starting this
upcoming school
season. To migrate
the portfolio to
natural colors or
at least provide
the consumer with
natural color
options.
Company said it
will use sugar in
its products like
Pepsi beverages if
consumers want it.
Coca-Cola Company to
introduce a
cane-sugar
sweetened version
of Coke in U.S.
Kellanova On track to remove By December 31,
synthetic colors 2027
from U.S. K-12
foods within the
2026/27 school year
and from retail
foods by 2027-end.
Campbell’s Co Will eliminate all By mid-2026
FD&C colors from
its food and
beverage products
in second half of
fiscal year 2026.
Walmart Will eliminate all By January 2027
synthetic dyes and
more than 30 other
ingredients like
preservatives,
artificial
sweeteners and fat
substitutes from
its U.S. private
brand foods by
January 2027.
(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry, Neil J Kanatt, Savyata Mishra, Koyena Das and Anshi Sancheti in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Shilpi Majumdar and Sahal Muhammed)
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