Food Companies Following Trump Administration’s MAHA Leadership

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Food Companies have made Commitments to Removing Synthetic Dyes

In response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) initiative to remove petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply, a wave of voluntary commitments has emerged from leading food manufacturers, retailers, and industry associations across the country to remove or replace synthetic dyes in their products.

This move represents a very visible part of the Administration’s Make America Healthy Again strategy, with food companies following up the HHS announcement with pledges to phase out artificial colors, such as FD&C varieties (including Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5), from product portfolios. This industry-wide shift prioritizes natural, plant-based alternatives, and includes accelerated removals for school foods to address a key source of concern for parents via these additives.

Key U.S. Companies leading the effort

• General Mills – Announced plans to remove certified colors from all U.S. cereals and all K-12 school foods by summer 2026, with a commitment to extend the removal across its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027.
• Nestlé – Shared a timeline to fully eliminate FD&C colors from its entire U.S. food and beverage portfolio by mid-2026.
• J.M. Smucker – Announced a commitment to remove FD&C colors from all consumer food products by the end of 2027, primarily impacting its sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and certain Hostess brand products, plus a pledge to stop selling FD&C-colored products to K-12 schools by the 2026/2027 school year.
• Conagra – Announced a phased plan to remove FD&C colors beginning with its frozen food portfolio (including Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, and Marie Callender's) by the end of 2025, followed by a full U.S. retail portfolio phaseout by the end of 2027.
• Walmart Co. – Announced it is eliminating synthetic dyes and over 30 additional ingredients from all of its U.S. private brand food products (Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed, and bettergoods), with full completion targeted by January 2027.
• Kraft Heinz – Committed to remove synthetic colors from its existing U.S. portfolio before the end of 2027, while also pledging not to launch any new U.S. products containing FD&C colors effective immediately.
• Tyson Foods – Announced it had already removed petroleum-based synthetic dyes from its domestic branded products earlier in 2025, and further committed to eliminating High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sucralose, BHA/BHT, and Titanium Dioxide from its branded products — including Tyson, Jimmy Dean, and Hillshire Farm — by the end of 2025.
• The Campbell's Company – Published a commitment to removing FD&C colors from across its product portfolio, aligning with the broader industry and regulatory push to eliminate certified synthetic colors from U.S. food products.
• American Bakers Association – Launched a voluntary industry-wide pledge to eliminate certified FD&C colors from all baked goods sold across the United States by December 31, 2028, with more than 90% of its member companies already signed on at the time of announcement.
• Consumer Brands Association – Announced a voluntary initiative to remove certified artificial colors from food and beverage products sold in schools, representing a coordinated, industry-wide commitment targeting the K-12 school environment specifically.
• Grupo Bimbo – Committed to removing all artificial colorants from its entire product portfolio by the end of 2026, making it one of the more aggressive timelines among major global baking companies.
• International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) – Launched the "IDFA Ice Cream Commitment," a voluntary pledge to eliminate certified artificial colors from all ice cream products made with real milk and sold at food retail by December 31, 2027, representing companies responsible for more than 90% of U.S. ice cream volume.
• Kellanova – Reported that it is on track to remove FD&C colors from its U.S. K-12 school foods within the 2026/2027 school year and from all retail foods by December 31, 2027.
• WK Kellogg Co. – Committed to removing FD&C colors from school cereals by the 2026–27 school year, pledged not to launch any new products with FD&C colors beginning in January 2026, and committed to removing FD&C colors from remaining retail products by the end of 2027.
• Utz Brands – Announced it will eliminate all FD&C colors from its entire salty snack product portfolio by the end of 2027, and plans to begin highlighting "real and simple" product attributes on select packaging.
• PepsiCo – Launched dye-free versions of Doritos and Cheetos under the "Simply NKD" line, removing artificial colors from those formulations beginning December 1, 2025, while also committing to remove petroleum-based synthetic dyes from Doritos and Cheetos more broadly.
• In-N-Out Burger – Removed artificial coloring from its Strawberry Shakes and Signature Pink Lemonade and transitioned its ketchup to a formulation made with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup, becoming one of the first restaurant chains to act on the FDA's food dye phase-out.
• Sam's Club – Reached 96% completion of its multi-year "Made Without" initiative to eliminate over 40 ingredients — including synthetic dyes, aspartame, and high-fructose corn syrup — from its Member's Mark private label food and beverage products, with full 100% completion announced in January 2026.
• Target Corp. – Announced it will require all cereals it sells to be reformulated without certified synthetic colors by the end of May 2026, making it one of the first national retailers to carry only dye-free cereals, with brands that don't comply facing removal from its shelves.
• Mars Inc. – Announced it will replace synthetic dyes with natural colors in some of its most recognizable products, including Skittles and M&Ms, with reformulated options beginning to roll out at retail.
• McCormick & Company – Reported a significant uptick in reformulation activity as it works with restaurants and food manufacturers to help them remove synthetic dyes from their products.
• PIM Brands, Inc. (Welch's Fruit Snacks) – Announced plans to remove all synthetic dyes from the full Welch's Fruit Snacks product lineup by early 2026, with several reformulated flavors already hitting shelves and replacing dyes like Red 40 and Blue 1 with colors derived exclusively from natural sources.
• Hershey Brands, Inc. – Announced it will remove synthetic dyes from its full range of candy and snacks — including Jolly Ranchers, Twizzlers, Dot's Pretzels, and SkinnyPop — by the end of 2027.