Utz Brands is now part of the growing movement among US food manufacturers committing to eliminate artificial additives and colorings from their product lines.
The Hanover, Pennsylvania-based producer of savory snacks, known for brands like On the Border and Boulder Canyon, announced that by the end of 2027, its entire portfolio will be free of synthetic colorings (FD&Cs).
Utz clarified in a recent statement that 80% of its snack range is already devoid of FD&C colors, which are synthetic dyes approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for various products.
“We will eliminate all FD&C colors from our entire product portfolio by the end of 2027. Starting this fall, we will be highlighting our real and simple product attributes on select brand packages,” Utz stated.
Numerous US food companies have responded to calls from the Trump administration to remove FD&Cs, following Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has championed this cause as part of his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign.
Kennedy Jr. initiated plans earlier this year to ban the use of the Red 3 food coloring additive in food, supplements, and ingestible drugs, urging food manufacturers to reformulate their products by mid-January 2027.
Following this, the FDA proposed a phased approach to discontinue petroleum-based synthetic food dyes by the end of 2026.
Discussions about reformulating FD&Cs have increasingly become a focal point in the US food industry. Jeff Harmening, Chairman and CEO of General Mills, addressed the topic on a recent earnings call.
“An increasing number of consumers don’t want to [see] certified colors in some of their food, and that’s why we look to remove those,” Harmening commented.
He went on to clarify that 98% of General Mill’s K-12 school foods portfolio is free of certified colors, while 85% of its retail offerings also do not contain them.
This year, General Mills committed to eliminating all certified colors from its US cereals and K-12 school foods by summer 2026, with plans to remove them from its entire US retail portfolio by the end of 2027.
Utz further emphasized, “As consumer tastes and government regulatory initiatives evolve, we adapt while staying true to the flavors and traditions people love.”
Kraft Heinz has similarly pledged to eliminate all FD&C colors from its US portfolio by the end of 2027, noting that 90% of its products are already free from these additives.
The FDA has compiled a comprehensive agenda of US companies that have committed to reformulation. This list also includes international food manufacturers, such as Nestlé, Danone, and Grupo Bimbo.
On the domestic front, notable brands include Mars, as well as its potential acquisition target Kellanova, PepsiCo, Conagra Brands, and McCormick & Co.
