General Mills to remove artificial colors from all food lines – Twin Cities

General Mills said Tuesday it plans to remove artificial colors from all its U.S. food lines by the end of 2027. It will begin by removing artificial colors from all foods served in K-12 schools by summer 2026.

The move follows a similar one announced Tuesday by competitor Kraft Heinz.

The Golden Valley-based company said in a news release that 85% of its retail portfolio is made without certified colors.

“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,” CEO Jeff Harmening said in the release.

Similarly, Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that almost 90% of its U.S. products already don’t contain food, drug & cosmetic (FD&C) colors. FD&C colors are synthetic additives that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in food, drugs and cosmetics.

Kraft Heinz said that many of its U.S. products that still use the FD&C colors are in its beverage and desserts categories, including certain products sold under brands including Crystal Light, Kool Aid, Jell-O and Jet Puffed.

In April, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference that the agency would take steps to eliminate the synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, largely by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry.