Beloved Food Brand Takes Big Step Toward Clean Eating
Kraft Heinz, a familiar food brand found in millions of American homes, has announced a major, positive change. By the end of 2027, it will have removed all artificial food dyes from its products sold in the U.S. and will cease making new products with these synthetic food dyes immediately, reports NPR.
This is a significant step. Kraft Heinz is the largest U.S. packaged food company to fully commit to eliminating the artificial colorants regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Evolution of Color Additives in the U.S.
The FDA explains in an article looking at the history of color additives that these colors, synthetic and natural, were historically added to food products and cosmetics to make them appear appetizing and informative to consumers. Prior to regulation starting in the late nineteenth century, many were shown to be toxic or used to conceal substandard packaged food and cosmetics.
Color additives boost products with an often emotional pull, representing a type of code, allowing us to instantly identify products like candy flavors, or in the case of a pink baby lotion, a product offering calming and soothing qualities.
Paula’s Choice Skincare explains that FD&C Colors are pigment additives that are FDA-approved for use in foods, drugs, and cosmetics but with no known benefits. In some cases, they have been found to trigger allergic reactions. NPR highlights that some research has linked these dyes to negative effects on children’s behavior.
Popular products like Jell-O and Kool-Aid to Change
The roll call of popular Kraft Heinz products includes Kraft Mac & Cheese, Jell-O, and Kool-Aid. A Kraft Heinz company media release dated June 17 2025, outlines its three-pronged approach to the challenge of removing FD&C Colors from the remainder of its product portfolio.
This takes in removing coloring where it is not critical to the consumer experience, or replacing FD&C colors with natural colors, such as the yellow from spices such as paprika and turmeric, now used in its Mac & Cheese products, and from compounds found in plants like beetroot and spirulina.
Another approach will see it working on reinventing new shades where matching natural replacements are not available.
As NPR details, many of the products that still contain artificial dyes are found in the beverage and dessert category, taking in products sold under brands such as Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Jello-O, Mio water flavor enhancers and Jet-Puffed marshmallow products. However, Kraft Heinz also lists them as being present in salad dressings, and condiments such as relish.
Responding to Federal and Consumer Concerns
According to Food & Wine, this shift by Kraft Heinz is a response not just to changing consumer expectations, but also to a broader federal initiative under the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This drive aims to phase out petroleum-based food coloring. Indeed, the Department’s Secretary, Robert F.Kennedy, praised the brand’s CEO and those of other food brand leaders voluntarily advancing food safety and radical transparency. He saluted their interest in safeguarding the health of all Americans, and children in particular, weeks before this announcement.
As the FDA reveals in the above-mentioned article on the history of color additives, the growth of regulations indicated a growing determination to protect consumer health, with federal oversight of color additives having begun back in the 1880s.
In its June 2025 statement, the company shares that: “Already, nearly 90 percent of Kraft Heinz’s U.S. products are free of FD&C colors (by Net Sales).”
The North American President at Kraft Heinz, Pedro Navio, shares that “The vast majority of our products [nearly 90 percent] 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.”
As the brand’s media release points out, its move to leave artificial food coloring behind is just the latest in an evolving strategy to “provide nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans.” This includes added protein and fiber, and reduced sugar, salt and saturated fat across its products.
