General Mills is the latest major company to commit to removing artificial food dyes from its products as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. works to eradicate harmful ingredients from the nation’s food supply.
The food company announced Thursday its plan to remove artificial dyes from its U.S. cereals and K-12 school foods by summer 2026, and remove them from the rest of its products by the end of 2027, in line with Kennedy’s wishes.
“Across the long arc of our history, General Mills has moved quickly to meet evolving consumer needs, and reformulating our product portfolio to remove certified colors is yet another example,” General Mills chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening said in a statement.
“Today, the vast majority of our foods are made without certified colors and we’re working to ensure that will soon apply to our full portfolio. Knowing the trust families place in us, we are leading the way on removing certified colors in cereals and K-12 foods by next summer. We’re committed to continuing to make food that tastes great and is accessible to all.”
Kennedy praised General Mills’s move and urged other food companies to join them in eliminating synthetic food dyes.
“@GeneralMills is now committing to eliminate artificial dyes from its U.S. products within two years—thanks to @POTUS’s leadership and his pledge to Make America Healthy Again. I urge other companies to step up and do the same,” Kennedy said on X.
General Mills said food dyes are not present in 85 percent of its U.S. product portfolio and almost all of its school lunch offerings. The 160 year old food giant is known for its famous cereal brands such as Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Cocoa Puffs. General Mills also owns a variety of other food products including snacks, meals, baking products, and organic options.
Earlier this week, Kraft Heinz similarly announced a plan to get synthetic food dyes out of its U.S. products by 2027 and vowed not to launch any new products with the artificial colors in them. The company is taking a three-pronged approach to removing, replacing, and reinventing food dyes in their products to follow through on their promises.
Walmart’s Sam’s Club is also on board with Kennedy’s push to remove chemical food dyes and recently said it has reached 96 percent of its goal to get artificial ingredients out of its offerings for its “Made Without” initiative. Sam’s Club is hoping to remove 40 artificial ingredients from its products to align itself with consumer demand for minimal processed foods.
Kennedy and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary moved in April to phase out eight popular food dyes used in countless American consumer staples on the grounds that the dyes harm childhood development. Kennedy has expressed interest in working with companies on voluntarily removing food dyes instead of going through the traditional, slow-moving regulatory processes.
Removing synthetic food dyes is part of Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement, a politically diverse coalition of activists and influencers skeptical of public health authorities and concerned about chronic disease. MAHA proponents scored major victories in West Virginia earlier this year when the deep red state passed legislation to advance several MAHA priories, including a ban on popular food dyes.