Kraft Heinz To Discontinue Food Dyes

Kraft Heinz, the third-largest food and beverage company in North America, announced it will eliminate all artificial food dyes from its U.S. products by 2027 and stop using them in new products immediately. The company says about 90% of its U.S. products are already free of synthetic dyes, with remaining efforts focused on items like Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, Jell-O, and Jet-Puffed. Kraft Heinz emphasized that products like Heinz Ketchup have never contained artificial dyes and highlighted earlier changes, such as replacing dyes in Kraft Mac & Cheese with spices.

The move comes as federal health officials push to phase out petroleum-based dyes, citing health concerns, including behavioral effects in children. The Center for Science in the Public Interest continues to advocate for warning labels on products with synthetic dyes. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved new natural colorings, manufacturers face challenges with cost, color intensity, and sourcing.