Kraft Heinz Moves to Eliminate Remaining Synthetic Dyes
The Kraft Heinz Co. is scuttling the use of Food Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors in its products. The venerable CPG, which does not use artificial colors in 90% of its products, announced that it is removing or replacing FD&C colors in remaining items that currently contain such ingredients.
The company affirmed it will not introduce any new products in the United States made with FD&C colors, effective immediately. The use of these synthetic dyes will be phased out of existing products in the CPG’s portfolio by the end of 2027. That expansive portfolio includes brands and products known for vibrant colors, such as Kool-Aid, Jell-O and Kraft, among several others.
The move comes after the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced earlier this spring that it is working with the industry to eliminate the six remaining FD&C synthetic dyes from the food supply by the end of 2026. Kraft Heinz shared that it is taking a three-pronged approach to its work in this effort: removing colors removing colors where it is not critical to the consumer experience; replacing FD&C colors with natural colors; and reinventing new colors and shades where matching natural replacements are not available. In addition to its own formulations, the company will work with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove FD&C colors.
“As a food company with a 150+ year heritage, we are continuously evolving our recipes, products, and portfolio to deliver superiority to consumers and customers,” explained Pedro Navio, North America president. “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. In fact, we removed artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors from our beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016. Our iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never had artificial dyes – the red color comes simply from the world’s best tomatoes. 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.”
Product updates in the name of nutritious, healthy offerings have long been part of the CPG’s R&D work. Kraft Heinze reported that it has made changes to more than 1,000 product recipes to add protein and fiber, and reduce sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
