General Mills announced on Tuesday that it will phase out artificial colors from its entire range of U.S. retail products by the end of 2027.
The maker of Cheerios also plans to eliminate synthetic dyes from all cereals and food served in K-12 schools by the summer of 2026.
However, the company noted that this change will only affect a small subset of the K-12 school portfolio, as nearly all its offerings for schools are already produced without certified colors. In fact, 85% of its U.S. retail products are made without artificial colors.
This decision follows a recent initiative by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who aims to remove synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply to combat chronic health issues, including obesity.
On the same day, Kraft Heinz announced that it would stop the introduction of products containing artificial colors in the U.S. immediately, with plans to eliminate synthetic dyes from existing products by the end of 2027.