Kraft Heinz to remove synthetic dyes amid ‘Make America Healthy Again’ pressure

Food giant Kraft Heinz on Tuesday announced plans to remove synthetic dyes from its US products by 2027 and vowed not to launch any new items with the controversial additives. .

The ketchup king was the first major company to publicly tout a rollback of food dyes amid pressure from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as part of a broader move to address chronic diseases and conditions such as obesity among Americans.

About 10% of Kraft Heinz products — which include brands Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, MiO, Jell-O and Jet-Puffed — contain synthetic dyes.

The dyes will be removed from products altogether or replaced with natural alternatives, the company said in a press release.

“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,” said Pedro Navio, Kraft Heinz’s North America president.

In 2016, the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft Mac & Cheese, Navio said.

Its trademark bright-red Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never used artificial dyes, he added.

Kraft Heinz said it is also working with licensees of its brands to roll back the use of the artificial colors.

Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign led the Food and Drug Administration in April to announce a plan to phase out the use of artificial dyes — including red dye 40, yellow dye 5, yellow dye 6, blue dye 1, blue dye 2 and green dye 2.

In January, under the Biden administration, the FDA had slapped a ban on the use of Red No. 3 dye in food and drugs after studies found the synthetic dye caused cancer in lab rats.

Several studies have found ties between certain food dyes and behavioral issues in children. The FDA’s advisory committee, however, has not established a causal link between the two. 

“These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development,” Kennedy said in April.

The FDA did not reveal any mandates or formal agreements with the food industry in April. Rather, Kennedy claimed “the industry has voluntarily agreed” to the restrictions.

Kennedy had met with executives at top food companies including Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo North America, General Mills, WK Kellogg, Tyson Foods and JM Smucker, as well as the industry trade group Consumer Brands Association. 

Public opinion has largely turned against the dyes over growing concerns about health risks.

Hundreds gathered outside WK Kellogg headquarters last year to protest the company’s continued use of artificial dyes in its breakfast cereals, like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks. 

About 15% of WK Kellogg’s cereal sales come from products containing artificial colors, a spokesperson told The Post.

None of its products have contained Red No. 3 dye for years, though, and it is currently reformulating cereals sold in schools so they will not include synthetic dyes by the 2026-27 school year, the spokesperson added.

“We look forward to working with Health and Human Services and the FDA to identify ways to effectively remove FD&C colors from the small percentage of our food that contains them today,” WK Kellogg said in a statement.