General Mills and Kraft Heinz to Remove Synthetic Dyes From Portfolios

General Mills and Kraft Heinz are removing synthetic, additive food colors previously certified by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). 

The moves come after Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would like to phase out synthetic dyes used to enhance color in foods such as candy and cereals.

“We are going to get rid of the dyes and then one by one, we’re going to get rid of every ingredient and additive in food that we can legally address,” said Kennedy Jr. during a press conference in April. 

The FDA banned red dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs at the beginning of the year. In April, the agency said it would work with the industry to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply over the next few years.