Kellogg Company. Michigan. Most recently on Monday, it announced a wildly overdue but nevertheless courageous commitment to eliminate artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals by the end of 2027. That investigation found that the company had, indeed, likely violated state consumer protection laws. The main reasoning behind this decision was their long history of use of synthetic color additives such as blue, red, yellow, green and orange dyes. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the decision, as it had Kellogg signing a legally binding consent agreement. This agreement gives his office the confidence of Kellogg’s commitment.
And for months, the Texas AG’s office has aggressively pursued Kellogg. They even went as far as to lobby against their own allowing to phase these artificial dyes. The purpose of the agreement is to remove what public health advocates have designated as unhealthy ingredients from Kellogg’s cereals. As a part of this initiative, Kellogg is making a big move in the opposite direction by stopping the introduction of new products containing artificial dyes. This policy will go into effect beginning this January.
Kellogg also recently made headlines by committing to eliminate all FD&C dyes. These synthetic additives are not currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food, drugs, and cosmetics. The FDA continues to assert that no harm comes to the majority of children who consume foods and drugs containing color additives. Together with U.S. health officials, nonprofit advocacy organizations are putting mounting pressure on food manufacturers. They are encouraging these companies to stop using petroleum-based colors in their products voluntarily.
“Following months of investigating and negotiating, I’m proud to officially say Kellogg’s will stop putting these unhealthy ingredients in its cereals,” – Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General
Kellogg’s latest move is just a continuation of a wider push by food manufacturers. And as General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Nestle, and Smuckers can attest—such companies are leading the way. They’ve made public their commitments to eliminate artificial dyes from their products. This movement is indicative of increasing consumer demand for healthier foods, transparency in ingredient sourcing, and a desire to support responsible manufacturers.
Kellogg has already begun reformulating all of its cereals served in schools. They hope to remove FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year. The company underscored the commitment to health and wellness across the company by focusing on removing harmful ingredients from its products.
“We will completely remove FD&C colors from the small percentage of our foods that contain them today,” – Kellogg
