Kellogg to Pull Artificial Dyes From All Cereals This Year

WK Kellogg said Thursday it will remove artificial colors from all of its cereals by the end of this year, a full year ahead of the schedule it announced last August.

The Battle Creek, Michigan-based company said it has identified fruit- and vegetable-based juices that will give cereals such as Froot Loops and Apple Jacks their distinctive colors, and that it has invested in equipment to make the switch to natural colors possible. Kellogg had previously said it would eliminate synthetic dyes by the end of 2027.

The company said it is also removing BHT, an artificial preservative, from the small number of cereals that still contain it.

"More and more consumers are looking for foods made with simple, recognizable ingredients and we are proud to meet those expectations even sooner than planned," Kellogg Chief Growth Officer Doug VanDeVelde said in a statement.

Kellogg has faced pressure for years to strip artificial ingredients from its cereals, a step it has already taken in other countries, including Canada. In 2024, dozens of people rallied outside the company's headquarters and delivered petitions carrying 400,000 signatures asking Kellogg to drop artificial dyes and BHT.

That pressure has intensified under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has urged food companies to phase out petroleum-based artificial dyes. Last August, Kellogg also signed an agreement with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pledging to "permanently remove toxic dyes" from its cereals by the end of 2027.

Retailers have pushed in the same direction. Earlier this year, Target said it would stop selling cereals containing artificial colors by the end of May. Walmart has said it will remove artificial colors from its store brands by January 2027.