Tyson Foods announced that it will eliminate the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes in its products by the end of May.
“As a recognized leader in protein, none of the products Tyson Foods offers through our school nutrition programs include petroleum-based synthetic dyes as ingredients,” President and CEO of Tyson Foods, Donnie King, stated. “We expect that our work to eliminate the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes in production will be completed by the end of May.”
The company, known for its chicken nuggets, noted that most of its products “do not contain any of these types of dyes, and we have been proactively reformulating those few products that do.”
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. commented on the development, saying, “I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of Americans first. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again.”
Similarly, PepsiCo is accelerating its transition away from artificial colors. PepsiCo Inc. Chair and CEO Ramon Laguarta said during a recent conference that the company has been “leading the transformation of the industry now for a long time on sodium reduction, sugar reduction and better fats.”
“When we talk about the U.S. food business, 60%-plus of our (portfolio) today doesn’t have any artificial colors, so we’re undergoing that transition,” he said, as per Food Business News. “For example, brands like Lay’s will be out of artificial colors by the end of this year, and the same with Tostitos — some of our big brands. So we’re well underway.”
