MAHA effect: Kraft Heinz to eliminate food dyes from well-known products by 2027

The Kraft Heinz food company said Tuesday it will remove artificial dyes from all its foods by 2027, as Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy pressures companies to move away from additives.

The U.S.-based company said it will not launch any new products with cosmetic colors, either. 

The decision impacts about 10% of its portfolio, which includes products such as Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Crystal Light and Jet-Puffed marshmallows. 

“We are continuously evolving our recipes, products, and portfolio to deliver superiority to consumers and customers,” said Pedro Navio, the North America president at Kraft Heinz, which has headquarters in Chicago and Pittsburgh. “The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of [cosmetic] colors across the remainder of our portfolio.”

The decision tracks with Mr. Kennedy’s push to “Make America Healthy Again” by getting rid of dyes and other additives in foods. 

The secretary says America’s obesity and chronic disease problems stem in part from a diet marked by processed foods and additives that aren’t found in Europe or other places.

Consumer groups also point to lab-animal studies that found a possible link between dyes and cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration in April announced a plan to phase out petroleum-based dyes, targeting red dye 40, yellow dye 5, yellow dye 6, blue dye 1, blue dye 2 and green dye 2.

The FDA banned red dye No. 3 in January, shortly before Mr. Trump took office. Regulators revoked the Red Dye No. 3’s authorization under a lever called the Delaney Clause, which lets regulators crack down on substances found to induce cancer in humans or animals. Industry groups noted the FDA found cancer links in rats, though not in humans.

The Kraft Heinz company characterized its decision as part of a “journey” to reduce its use of artificial colors, pointing to changes it made to “our beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese” in 2016.

The company said it would take a multi-part approach to dye removal by taking away colors that aren’t critical to the consumer experience, replacing cosmetic colors with natural ones. 

It also highlighted its home-grown bonafides, saying it sourced tomatoes from California, cucumbers from the Midwest and potatoes from Idaho.

Generally speaking, Americans have found Mr. Kennedy’s scrutiny of vaccines polarizing. But his focus on diet and health enjoys broad support from across the political spectrum.

A recent NBC News poll found Americans share Mr. Kennedy’s skepticism of the food industry, with 35% saying that companies were to blame for America’s chronic health problems, while 32% pointed to choices by individual consumers.

Republican governors have courted Mr. Kennedy by lining up to ban food additives from school lunches, or by preventing residents from using food stamps to buy sugary drinks.