PepsiCo to remove artificial ingredients from popular food items by end of 2025

Heeding the call to ban artificial ingredients by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.Kennedy Jr., PepsiCo isn’t wasting any time getting started. Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo Inc.

chair and chief executive officer, said in an April 24 conference call that the company will reduce artificial ingredients and has already begun doing so, as Food Business News reported.“We’ve been leading the transformation of the industry now for a long time on sodium reduction, sugar reduction and better fats,” Laguarta said.“Sixty percent-plus of our (portfolio) today doesn’t have any artificial colors,” he said — and the company is “undergoing that transition.”Laguarta cited examples such as Lay’s and Tostitos, which “will be out of artificial colors by the end of this year.”He added, “So, we’re well underway.”RFK Jr.and Dr.

Martin Makary, U.S.Food and Drug Administration commissioner, announced a ban on petroleum-based synthetic dyes from America’s food supply last Tuesday.As the HHS noted in its news release, among the steps to be taken are “establishing a national standard and timeline for the food industry to transition from petrochemical-based dyes to natural alternatives.”“Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings — Citrus Red No.

2 and Orange B — within the coming months; and working with industry to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes — FD&C Green No.3, FD&C Red No.

40, FD&C Yellow No.5, FD&C Yellow No.

6, FD&C Blue No.1, and FD&C Blue No.

2 — from the food supply by the end of next year.”Certified nutritionist and “Make America Healthy Again” supporter Liana Werner-Gray told Fox News Digital, “This is a huge win for public health and long overdue.”Werner-Gray is the author “The Earth Diet,” which began as a blog about what she ate to help promote healing and remedy her health problems after she was diagnosed with cancer. The Eart...