WK Kellogg says it will remove artificial colors from all of its cereals by the end of this year, completing the change a year earlier than previously planned.

The Battle Creek, Michigan-based company announced last year that it intended to eliminate synthetic dyes from its cereals by the end of 2027. Kellogg now says it has found fruit- and vegetable-based juices that can provide the familiar colors used in products including Froot Loops and Apple Jacks.

The company has also invested in equipment needed to make the transition to natural colors.

In addition to eliminating artificial dyes, Kellogg plans to remove BHT, an artificial preservative, from the small number of its cereals that still contain it.

The move comes amid increasing consumer and government pressure on food manufacturers to reduce their use of synthetic ingredients. In 2024, protesters gathered outside Kellogg’s headquarters and delivered petitions containing about 400,000 signatures calling on the company to remove artificial dyes and BHT.

Pressure has increased under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has pushed food manufacturers to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes.

Retailers are also moving away from products containing artificial colors. Target has announced plans to stop selling cereals containing artificial colors, while Walmart has said it will eliminate artificial colors from its store-brand products by January 2027.

Kellogg has already removed artificial ingredients from cereals sold in some other countries, including Canada.

Source: KCRA