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Kraft Heinz announced Tuesday it plans to eliminate synthetic colorants from its products by 2027.
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The move comes amid increasing calls for cleaner, safer food products across the U.S.
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Here’s everything to know about the latest announcement and what it means for you.
A growing number of companies have vowed to stop using these synthetic colorants in their foods. Now, there’s one more joining the group: Kraft Heinz.
On Tuesday, the company announced that any new products it launches in the U.S. will not contain Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors. It also plans to remove FD&C colors from its existing products sold in the U.S. by the end of 2027.
Nearly 90 percent of the company’s products do not contain FD&C colors, according to a news release from Kraft Heinz. “We are a company that has been around for 150 years. It is in our DNA to continuously renovate and innovate to make sure that we stay relevant and bring value to our consumers,” a Kraft Heinz spokesperson told Women’s Health. “We’ve been on a journey to make our products more nutrient-dense, including reducing artificial colors.”
The news comes just months after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a plan to phase out the use of synthetic dyes by the end of next year and to replace them with natural options.
Kraft Heinz is a huge food company, so this move certainly raising a lot of questions about what this means for consumers. Here’s everything to know so far.
Meet the experts: Darin Detwiler, LPD, is the author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University; Jamie Alan, PhD, is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.
What is Kraft removing from its products?
Kraft Heinz plans to remove FD&C colors from its products. These are certified color additives that are approved for use in foods, drugs, and cosmetics by the FDA. They include:
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red dye 40
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yellow dye 5
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yellow dye 6
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blue dye 1
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blue dye 2
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green dye 2
FDA officials said in April that they plan to eliminate these dyes from the U.S. food supply as well.
“Kraft Heinz’s decision to eliminate artificial dyes from its U.S. products by 2027 is a significant and commendable step toward greater food transparency and public health alignment,” says Darin Detwiler, author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University. “This move reflects growing consumer demand for cleaner labels and supports a broader shift in the food industry toward more responsible ingredient sourcing and formulation.”
Why are dyes used in food products?
It’s all about the visual effect, Detwiler says. “They can restore color lost during processing or storage, enhance naturally occurring colors, or create a specific brand-identified visual signature,” he says. “However, their use is primarily cosmetic and serves no nutritional or preservative function.”
What kinds of products does this change impact?
This change will affect about 10 percent of the products Kraft Heinz sells, according to the company. This list includes products like Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, and Jet-Puffed, which use FD&C colors. Worth noting, per the Kraft Heinz spokesperson: Heinz ketchup doesn’t use artificial dyes, and Kraft macaroni and cheese removed artificial dyes back in 2016.
Kraft Heinz said in a press release that the company plans to remove colors that aren’t critical, replace FD&C colors with natural shades, or “reinvent” new colors and shades when matching replacements aren’t available.
What’s so bad about artificial dyes?
A growing body of research links artificial dyes with health issues.
“The most common potential health risk is an exacerbation of neurobehavioral symptoms in children,” says Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. “The best way to combat this is to avoid the dye. This is going to be great for parents because they will have more options for their children if they are sensitive to artificial food dyes.”
Each dye has its own potential health issues, but the now-banned Red No.3 has the most research backing detrimental health effects. Specifically, it has shown an increased risk for cancer in male rats, and has been linked to behavioral issues and hyperactivity in kids. In fact, schools in California banned this dye in 2024 with the California School Food Safety Act.
“Beyond behavioral concerns, some artificial dyes have also been linked in past research to allergic reactions and, in high doses or under certain conditions, potential carcinogenicity,” Detwiler says. “While current FDA-approved dyes are generally recognized as safe at regulated levels, the scientific debate, particularly regarding long-term exposure and vulnerable populations, justifies continued scrutiny and precaution.”
When will this change actually happen?
Kraft Heinz said in a statement that the change will happen “before the end of 2027,” so that suggests the company will phase out dyes within the next two years.
Alan says this news is “great,” adding, “while artificial dyes are generally safe, they can cause harm in a specific subset of individuals.”
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