Get Ready to Dig In to Healthier Choices

Earlier this week, I reported that KraftHeinz was changing the face of breakfast by changing the label of its ketchup bottle by calling it Heinz Breakfast Ketchup (Hold the Ketchup, But Only At Breakfast). Pretty clever on Heinz part, yes?

 

Now, General Mills is joining KraftHeinz at the breakfast table.

KraftHeinz said Tuesday that it will remove artificial dyes from US products beginning in 2027 and will no longer roll out new products with the dyes.

Not to be outdone, hours later, General Mills announced that it plans to remove artificial dyes from all of its US cereals and all foods served in K-12 schools by the summer 2026. It is also looking to eliminate the dyes from its full US retail portfolio by the end of 2027.

Two of the largest food producers in the country are going to battle it out. Can Kellogg’s of Battle Creek be far behind?

Aldi Store (Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud) has required that all foods be created for healthy human ingestion for years, and since it burst on those the American consciousness in 1976, that has been its mission.

And while their initial expansion focused on the Midwest and East Coast, they have since grown to over 2,400 stores across 38 states. This demonstrates a significant level of national presence and continued expansion in the US market, highlighting the need for American producers to match Aldi’s overall healthier food production.

This did not go unnoticed or unmentioned during the last Presidential cycle. Robert F Kennedy Jr, who had championed for food advocacy for years, decided to campaign for President on this and other health issues. While he ultimately withdrew from the race, his voice did not go unheard.

In August, 2024, he endorsed then-Candidate Donald Trump, who agreed with many of Kennedy’s ideals and together, they created Make America Healthy Again, as a part of Trump’s overall campaign for President. When President Trump won, he made Kennedy Secretary of HHS, which oversees FDA, NIH, CDC and other agencies responsible for keeping Americans healthy.

And voila! Yesterday  both companies announced voluntary compliance with Secretary Kennedy's rule changes. Better PR to make the changes on their own, than to be told they MUST. And a win for everyone.

“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,” Pedro Navio, North America President at KraftHeinz, said in  statement.

“Across the long arc of our history, General Mills has moved quickly to meet evolving consumer needs, and reformulating our product portfolio to remove certified colors is yet another example,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Harmening said in a statement.

Health advocates, moms and other interested parties have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children.

The FDA has maintained that the approved dyes are safe and that “the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.”

And according to Sentient Colors, many US food companies are already reformulating their foods. In place of synthetic dyes, food makers can use natural hues made from beets, algae and crushed insects, and pigments from purple sweet potatoes, radishes and red cabbage.

But General Foods and KraftHeinz are truly the first large producers to actively begin the process to manufacture healthier foods for American consumers. So, get ready for healthier Cheerios and Kraft Mac’n Cheese. Coming soon to a grocer near you.

So, have your spoons and forks up and ready to dig in to some healthier choices to whet and satisfy your appetites!