Kraft Heinz will drop artificial dyes from its U.S. food products

The company says almost 90% of its U.S. products, including ketchup, do not have any artificial dyes at all. Some of those that do are fairly obvious: Kool-Aid, Jell-O, MiO and Crystal Light. The company’s announcement came with a critical caveat, however, promising to remove colors “where it is not critical to the consumer experience.”  

Worry not: Kraft Heinz says it will replace dyes with natural colors, or reinvent new ones when natural ones are not available. The iconic Kraft Mac & Cheese, for example, has been devoid of artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors since 2016. 

The move comes as the FDA has called for a phase-out of petroleum-based synthetic dyes. Though this has long been a crusade of current Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the process began during the Biden administration. Red No. 3 was banned in early January, citing a study that found it caused cancer in male rats. Companies were given until January 2028 to phase it out. 

Shortly after taking office, Kennedy met with executives from many of the top processed food companies to further target the use of other artificial dyes. The FDA is revoking authorization for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B in the coming months, and is working with the industry to eliminate six more by the end of 2026. It has requested that companies pull Red No.3 in advance of the 2027-28 deadline previously required. 

In April, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency is “asking food companies to substitute petrochemical dyes with natural ingredients for American children as they already do in Europe and Canada.” Seven of the eight additives in question are approved in Canada, however. But, in one of Kennedy's favorite examples, Froot Loops uses natural color in Canada but synthetic dyes in the U.S. 

Some studies have linked synthetic dyes to ADHD in children, though that could also be related to the high sugar content of products that use them.

“We have a new epidemic of childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and ADHD,” said Makary. “Given the growing concerns of doctors and parents about the potential role of petroleum-based food dyes, we should not be taking risks and do everything possible to safeguard the health of our children.”