WK Kellogg Co plans to remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the next two and a half years, as US food producers face increasing pressure from the government and consumers to phase out synthetic colourings from their products.
Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton said Kellogg had signed an agreement assuring his office that the Michigan-based company would “permanently remove toxic dyes" from its cereals by the end of 2027, reports Scripps News.
Paxton launched an investigation this year into whether Kellogg violated state consumer protection laws by continuing to use blue, red, yellow, green and orange artificial dyes. Around the same time, American health officials said they would urge foodmakers to voluntarily work toward removing petroleum-based colours.
Both Kellogg and General Mills, another major US cereal maker, said they would. General Mills later joined Kraft Heinz, Nestle and some other food manufacturers in announcing target dates for making all their products without artificial dyes.
But Paxton’s office said Kellogg was the first to sign a “legally binding” agreement.
Details of the terms of the agreement, legally known as an assurance of voluntary compliance, were not immediately clear.
According to Kellogg’s website, 85% of the cereal the company sells contains no FD&C (Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) colours – and none of its products has included Red No 3 for years. Federal regulators banned that dye from food in January.
Synthetic dyes have long been used to make brightly coloured cereals, drinks, sweets, baked goods and even products like cough syrup. But health advocates have called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children.
The FDA has maintained that its currently approved dyes are safe and that “the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing colour additives.”
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