Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed his approval this week regarding the removal of artificial dyes and additives from the US food supply. He highlighted the effort of many food companies to promote healthier options across the country.
“I’m really paying attention to what the major food brands are doing. They’re eliminating everything from cereals to spices, including artificial dyes and additives from the American food supply,” Kennedy remarked in a post on X.
“Thank you to @potus for empowering me to prioritize my family’s health. Together, we can make America healthy again,” he added.
He shared a clip from Fox News showcasing upcoming changes from major food producers like General Mills, Kraft Heinz, and fast food chains such as Steak’N Shake and In-N-Out Burger.
This week, Kraft Heinz announced plans to phase out artificial dyes from its product lineup by the end of 2027, as detailed in their press release.
According to the release, “For a small portion of our products currently containing FD&C colors, we are investing significant resources and mobilizing teams to tackle this complex challenge.” The company emphasized that most of its offerings already use natural or no colors.
“We’ve been actively working to reduce FD&C colors across our product range,” stated Pedro Navio, President of Kraft Heinz North America. He also noted, “I removed artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors from my favorite Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016.”
Similarly, General Mills has announced its intention to eliminate artificial colors from all grain products and K-12 school meals across the United States.
“This affects only a small part of our K-12 offerings, as nearly all school products today do not use certified colors. Furthermore, about 85% of General Mills’ complete US retail lineup is now made without these colors,” stated their announcement.
These initiatives follow calls from health officials during the Trump administration to address these issues. In April, authorities outlined plans to ban “oil-based food dyes” from the US food supply.
At that time, FDA Commissioner Marty McCurry remarked:
Over the past 50 years, American children have increasingly been surrounded by harmful synthetic chemicals. Numerous studies have suggested a link between petroleum-based dyes and various health problems, including ADHD, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and gastrointestinal issues.
In May, IN-N-Out announced its decision to eliminate artificial dyes, specifically Yellow 5 and Red 40, from its menu items, while Steak’N Shake revealed plans to replace seed oils with tallow.
