Kraft Heinz has pledged to eliminate all FD&C color additives from its US product portfolio by the end of 2027.
Additionally, the Heinz ketchup and Jell-O desserts brand owner announced on June 17 that it has “immediately” ceased launching any new products in the US that contain FD&C colors, also known as food, drug, and cosmetic colors.
A spokesperson confirmed that the initiative encompasses beverages as well. The publicly listed group rolled out a three-pronged approach to eliminate FD&C colors:
“Removing colors where it is not critical to the consumer experience; replacing FD&C colors with natural colors; or reinventing new colors and shades where matching natural replacements are not available,” explained Kraft Heinz.
Remarkably, almost 90% of Kraft Heinz’s US products, measured by net sales, are currently free of FD&C colors.
Additives in food and drinks have sparked considerable debate since President Trump announced the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign, which is spearheaded by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Earlier this year, Kennedy reportedly met with major US food companies to advocate for the elimination of artificial dyes, aiming to phase out their use by the end of his term in 2028.
In April, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated measures to phase out petroleum-based food dyes by 2026, asserting that the regulator was “establishing a national standard and timeline for the food industry to transition from petrochemical-based dyes to natural alternatives.”
When asked for specifics regarding the affected Kraft Heinz products, a spokesperson informed Just Food that “many of the impacted SKUs are in our beverages and desserts portfolios, including certain products sold under brands like Crystal Light, Kool Aid, Jell-O, and Jet Puffed that currently contain FD&C colors.”
In preparation for this transition, Kraft Heinz has mobilized a dedicated team and is collaborating with brand licensees to eliminate FD&C colors.
“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,” stated Pedro Navio, Kraft Heinz’s North America president.
“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.”
Kraft Heinz, which recently announced it was weighing up “strategic transactions to unlock shareholder value,” also shared insights on other reformulation measures it has undertaken.
On that note, the company revealed that it has adjusted over 1,000 recipes to enhance protein and fiber while reducing sugar, salt, and saturated fat, placing it on track to decrease nearly 55 million pounds of sugar across its portfolio by the end of 2025.
As demand intensifies to eliminate color additives from food, Kraft Heinz’s US peer General Mills also made a similar announcement yesterday.
General Mills pledged to eradicate “certified colors” [those approved by the FDA] from its US cereals and K-12 school foods by summer 2026 and from its entire US “retail” portfolio by the end of 2027.
“Nearly all” of its current K-12 school offerings and 85% of its US retail portfolio are already devoid of certified colors, indicating that the change will affect “only a small portion” of its products, the Cheerios cereal maker noted.
Chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening stated: “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.”
