General Mills announced plans to eliminate artificial colors from its entire U.S. retail product lineup by the end of 2027. This move is part of a broader effort to cater to growing consumer demand for more natural ingredients and cleaner labels across the food industry.
In addition, the company revealed it would remove synthetic dyes from all cereals and food items served in K-12 schools across the United States by summer 2026. However, General Mills noted that this change would affect only a small portion of its school-related products, as most are already free of certified colors.
General Mills Joins Kraft Heinz in Phasing Out Synthetic Dyes Amid Health Concerns and Consumer DemandMajor Brands Align With National Effort To Eliminate Synthetic Dyes From Food Supply
Currently, 85% of General Mills’ U.S. retail offerings are already made without artificial colors. Likewise, almost all of its school food items are already formulated without synthetic dyes, making the transition relatively limited in scope but symbolically significant.
This announcement comes on the heels of a national push, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to phase out synthetic food dyes due to their potential link to chronic health conditions like obesity. On the same day, Kraft Heinz also stated it would stop launching products with artificial colors in the U.S. and aims to fully remove synthetic dyes from existing products by 2027.
