RFK Jr. Wants to Ban Chemical Dyes. Food Makers Are in No Hurry.
Same cereal.Same sugary taste.
Different hues.A box of Froot Loops sold in the United States contains vivid rings of red, orange, green, purple, yellow and blue — neon colors derived from synthetic dyes, like Red No.40, Yellow No.
5, Blue No.1 and Yellow No.
6.In a box sold in Canada, the colored rings obtain paler shades from the juices of blueberries, watermelon and huito, an Amazonian fruit.
And not a single one is blue.The manufacturer in both countries, WK Kellogg, formerly known as the Kellogg Company, can clearly make Froot Loops without synthetic dyes.The question is: Will it and other big food companies adopt the approach in United States? And will consumers, raised on color-popping cereals, flame-colored nacho chips and neon blue sports drinks consume those foods if they are a bit more … beige?Robert F.
Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, wants them to.On Tuesday, Mr.
Kennedy, who has long criticized artificial dyes used in Froot Loops and other processed foods as part of a larger food system that he says contributes to chronic disease and poor health, announced that he had reached “an understanding” with major food manufacturers to remove commonly used petroleum-based food colorings from their products by 2026.The meaning of “an understanding” remains unclear.No food companies attended the press conference, and few have said they will remove synthetic colors, which the Food and Drug Administration currently allows.
But a shift may be coming.This week, citing expected demand from consumers, the beverage giant PepsiCo, which also makes Doritos and Lay’s potato chips, said it would either phase out synthetic colors or offer consumers natural color options in the next couple of years.Mr.
Kennedy is perhaps hoping that using his bully pulpit as head of the agency that oversees the F.D.A.will be enough to push big food companies to change their ways.
They have responded to pressure before.About a de...