In October, Kraft Heinz announced that by the end of 2027, none of its products will contain FD&C colors (Food and beverages, Drug & Cosmetic colors). The company also said it won't release any new products with synthetic colors during this time.
Many of Kraft Heinz’s popular products are already free of artificial dyes. For example, in 2016, the company removed artificial colors and flavors from Kraft Mac and Cheese. Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never used FD&C colors.
Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a ban on Red 3, a popular food dye. Companies have until January 2027 to remove this artificial color from their products to legally sell them in the U.S.
Other food dyes like Blue 1, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 are still common in U.S. foods. Experts told The Cool Down that these dyes, often made from petroleum, can pose health risks, especially to children.
Kraft Heinz said it will either remove colors that don't affect the product's taste or appearance, replace artificial colors with natural ones, or create new natural colors if a suitable replacement isn't available.
This is just one of many changes Kraft Heinz has made recently. The company spent 185,000 hours on research and development to create a new plastic bottle cap that is easier to recycle, which is now used in the United Kingdom. They’ve also tested making ketchup bottles from wood pulp to reduce plastic use and encourage more recyclable packaging.
Executive Statement
According to Pedro Navio, North America president of Heinz Kraft, the vast majority of their products use natural or no colors, and thye have been on a journey to reduce their use of FD&C colors across the remainder of their portfolio.