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Kellogg accelerates work to remove artificial colours from all US cereals

WK Kellogg has announced an accelerated timeline to eliminate all artificial colours and the chemical preservative, BHT, across its full US portfolio of cereals and cereal packaging.

"More and more consumers are looking for foods made with simple, recognisable ingredients and we are proud to meet those expectations, even sooner than planned," said Doug VanDeVelde, chief growth officer, in August.

At a glance:

• WK Kellogg is one year ahead of its commitment to remove artificial colours from all its cereals in the US.
• The Rice Krispies owner is also ahead of schedule to remove the preservative BHT from cereal packaging.
• The FDA has ramped up efforts on the preservative BHT and extended its call for information.

Production of cereals with the new recipes, including Kellogg's Froot Loops and Kellogg's Apple Jacks, will begin later this year, with food shipping to retailers before the end of the year.

The company will switch to colours derived from natural sources, including fruit and vegetable juices, as well as other plant-based ingredients. WK Kellogg said it has invested heavily in its manufacturing facilities to “support the transition to natural colours at scale, while maintaining the same great taste and quality that consumers expect and deserve”.

Extensive consumer tasting sessions have taken place to ensure the reformulations maintain the “original rainbow of colours – red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and blue – found in brands such as Froot Loops. “It wasn't easy but we identified natural solutions for every colour,” said VandeVelde.

In preparation for removing artificial colours from its entire portfolio, WK Kellogg has already reformulated foods served in schools to be free of artificial colours and from January this year discontinued launches of new products with artificial colours.

FDA announcement to remove petrol-based dyes from food

On April 22, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the US food supply. This included plans to revoke the authorisation of red No. 3 (mandating removal by 15 January 2027), revoke citrus red No. 2 and orange B, phase out the remaining six synthetic dyes by the end of this year, and authorise natural dye alternatives. As of May 2026, the removal of red No. 3 remains the only formally revoked dye authorisation.

As academics noted in an August ‘viewpoint’ on the removal of synthetic dyes from US products for the journal Jama Health Forum: “Although the absolute risks of synthetic food dyes remain uncertain, accumulating evidence that children may experience neurobehavioural effects supports prudent regulatory oversight, clearer consumer labelling, and clinician counselling that prioritises overall dietary quality.”

The experts, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Vermont Law and Graduate School, and the University of Virginia School of Law, explained how recent FDA actions “have signalled a policy shift” and “private markets are responding”.

Retailer Walmart has said it will remove artificial colours from store brands by January. Target, the supermarket chain, now only sells cereals made without certified synthetic colours, following a commitment made in February this year.

SPOONS: Kellogg launches new nutrition framework

The transition away from artificial colours comes as part of Kellogg's recent launch of its “SPOONS” on-pack nutrition guide – an evidence-based tool designed to “make it easier for consumers to identify, understand, and choose cereals according to their nutrition priorities”. This also includes increasing whole grains and fibre, as well as certain vitamins and minerals, while reducing sugar and sodium.

New information on the back of cereal boxes using the SPOONS acronym is being rolled out:

● S - Simple ingredients

● P - Protein

● O - Outstanding fibre

● O - Other nutritious foods

● N - Nutrients you need

● S - Single-digit sugars.

SPOONS is part of the company’s overall business strategy to expand the $10 billion US cereal category. VanDeVelde said cereal “is still one of the most popular household staples – with 50 million boxes purchased every week – and now is the time to be deliberate and disruptive in continuing to make cereal culturally relevant”.

Cutting out the chemical preservative, BHT

Kellogg also said it’s ahead of schedule in efforts to remove butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) from the “small amount” of cereal packaging that contains the chemical preservative.

Since 1959, BHT has been generally recognised as safe (GRAS) for use in foods and is one of the most commonly used antioxidants in foods containing fats.

In May, the FDA announced its intention to add BHT (and azodicarbonamide, ADA) to the list of food and food packaging substances it is evaluating under its post-market assessment programme. Two requests for information regarding the use and safety of these chemicals in food have been launched. In July, the deadline for relevant data and information on BHT used in food and as a food contact substance in packaging was extended to 31 August 2026.

BHT is used to prevent spoilage of fats and oils and can be found in various food products, and their packaging, including breakfast cereals, frozen pizza, frozen meals, baking mixes, cookies, chewing gum, and meat products. ADA is used as a whitening agent in cereal flour and as a dough conditioner in breadmaking and has applications in manufacturing food contact materials.

"Americans want the FDA to take a fresh look at some of the chemical additives that have become widespread in our food supply," said FDA commissioner Marty Makary, adding: "By establishing a comprehensive, science-based framework for reviewing chemicals like BHT and ADA, we're delivering the rigorous oversight Americans deserve. We will act swiftly based on our findings."