Kraft Heinz announced that it will no longer launch products using artificial colors in the United States. The company noted that its existing additives will be phased out from its products by the end of 2027.
Nearly 90% of its products are free of Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors, the company said in a press release.
“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,” said North America President at Kraft Heinz Pedro Navio. “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,” Navio noted. “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.”
Several other major food companies have announced a move away from artificial dyes, including burger chain In-N-Out and Tyson Foods.
PepsiCo is also accelerating its transition away from artificial colors. “Our products are very safe, and there’s nothing to worry about. But we understand that there’s probably going to be a consumer demand for more natural ingredients, and we’re going to be accelerating that transition,” PepsiCo Inc. Chair and CEO Ramon Laguarta said in a conference. “Ideally, we can do this in a very pragmatic, orchestrated way as an industry and not create unnecessary panic or chaos.”
The push to replace artificial ingredients comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved three new natural food dyes.
