Ditching Artificial Dyes, Food Giants Are Going Natural
The color of your morning bowl of Froot Loops is about to change.
Major manufacturers including Nestle, General Mills, and Kraft Heinz have within the next two years.
Illinois Tech Professor of Food Science and Nutrition Indika Edirisinghe says it was time for the food and beverage industry to reevaluate the use of artificial dyes in their products, but he also warns that switching over to natural food dye doesn’t come without challenges.
“One of the big challenges with the natural color is stability and consistency—they are not as stable as artificial colors,” says Edirisinghe. “Their lifespan is maybe weeks or a few months. Over time, they may degrade when exposed to environmental factors such as heat and light, resulting in discoloration. That’s going to be a challenge.”
Though Nestle says more than 90 percent of its current product categories do not contain synthetic colors, most of the products in the food industry that still do use them are targeted toward children—think breakfast cereals and sweets.
With some safety regulations having taken effect decades ago, Edirisinghe says that he thinks it’s the right time for the industry to take another look at those standards.
In particular, Edirisinghe points to a as evidence that the industry needed to reassess those dyes.
“In the last 20 years, the rate [of children with ADHD] has increased from 6 percent to 10 percent,” says Edirisinghe. “That’s a big jump.”
Another concern that Edirisinghe expressed is the amount of time that the industry will need to establish new formulations and comply with existing or new regulations.
Though the timeline before fully transitioning to natural dyes varies by company—ranging from summer 2026 to the end of 2027—Edirisinghe says he is confident that the industry has enough time to properly implement any changes.
“I think that timeline is feasible given the robust structures the industry has,” says Edirisinghe. “We are talking about billion-dollar companies. They have resources, they have money, and they can execute their plan in a short-term period.”
