Froot loops maker to cut fake dyes

WK Kellogg Co will remove synthetic dyes from its cereals including Froot Loops and Apple Jacks by the end of joining a growing cohort of other U S companies that have committed to eliminate colorants such as Red and Yellow from their foods The Battle Creek Michigan-based company disclosed it would remove the additives in an announcement posted to its website The company had previously released that it wouldn t introduce new products with the dyes beginning in while also committing to eliminate the ingredients from its cereals served in schools by the - school year The cereal maker declared of its sales are in foods that don t contain the dyes Products with dyes include Froot Loops Apple Jacks and chosen variations of Rice Krispies Candy company Ferrero International SA revealed earlier this month that it agreed to buy WK Kellogg for an enterprise value of billion Froot Loops in particular has been called out by Medical and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and the Make America Healthy Again movement to rid the U S food supply of artificial colors Activists and soundness agents in the Trump administration have linked artificial colors which are primarily made from petroleum-based chemicals to conditions including hyperactivity obesity and diabetes in children Companies and industry groups have long maintained that the ingredients are safe It took ruling body leaders in a position of power to educate the citizens and to fight for the removal of artificial food dyes for it to truly happen Vani Hari an activist known as the Food Babe commented late Friday Hari led a petition urging WK Kellogg to remove artificial dyes from its cereals I ve been waiting for this moment for a long time she explained The announcement shows further progress for Kennedy who has already notched a stream of commitments from U S food companies including Conagra Brands Inc Nestle SA Kraft Heinz Co and General Mills Inc to remove synthetic dyes from large swaths of their food Earlier this week ice cream makers stated they would eliminate a number of artificial colors from their products by Last Thursday PepsiCo Inc revealed it was removing artificial colors from its school foods launching Lay s and Tostitos with no artificial colors or flavors by the end of the year and planning to introduce new all natural versions of Cheetos and Doritos Pepsi stated in April it was moving its products into natural colors over the next couple of years The HHS and the FDA disclosed in April that they would work with food producers to eliminate synthetic food dyes by the end of Will Kubzansky and Kristina Peterson Bloomberg News Bloomberg L P Visit bloomberg com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC