Same grain. The same sugary flavor. Different shades.
A box of frot loops for sale in the United States contains vivid rings of red, orange, green, purple, yellow and blue – neon colors derived from synthetic dyes such as red, yellow 5, blue 1, blue 1 and 6. None of them are blue.
WK Kellogg (formerly known as Kellogg Company) in both countries can obviously make Froot loops without synthetic dyes. The question is: Will it and other large food companies adopt this approach in the United States? If consumers raised on colorful grains, flame-colored nacho fries and neon blue sports drinks would consume these foods if they were a little more… beige?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, hoped they would do so. On Tuesday, Mr. Kennedy had long criticized artificial dyes used in Froot cycles and other processed foods as part of a larger food system, which he said would lead to chronic illness and poor health, announcing that he had removed the “understanding” of the regular food manufacturers in 2026’s products.
The meaning of “understanding” is not yet clear. No food companies attended the press conference and few said they would remove the synthetic colors currently allowed by the Food and Drug Administration. But the transition can happen. This week, potato chips from beverage giant Doritos and Lay’s potato chips said that anticipated demand this week said it will phase out synthetic colors or provide consumers with natural colors in the coming years.
Mr. Kennedy may hope that his bully-talking as the head of the agency overseeing the FDA is enough to push big food companies to change their own ways. They have responded to stress before. About a decade ago, many companies tried to transform into natural colors. Most notably, Kraft macaroni and cheese successfully replicated its characteristic orange noodles by switching to turmeric and chili powder. But other companies struggle. Some people recovered to synthetic dyes after sales declined.
However, for some critics of synthetic dyes, Mr. Kennedy’s announcement was disappointing. Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the government should take more forceful action to eliminate dyes.
“History tells us that relying on compliance in the voluntary food industry is often proven to be a fool,” Dr. Lurie said in a statement.
Rewrite the recipe
No matter how much pressure is applied in Washington, it will not transfer to natural colors overnight. It’s not like simply replacing the 6-colored yellow with carrot juice, a company that makes colors for the food and beverage industry, said James Herrmann, marketing director at Sensient Technologies.
It could take two years to develop seeds, plant plants and consolidate the combination of beech and black carrot extracts that produce the desired shadows. And it’s not just the right color. Food companies may have to adjust their manufacturing processes and facilities.
Mr Hermann said that light and heat are enemies of natural colors, causing them to fade away, change, and even separate in some cases. Natural colors must be kept cool and have a relatively short shelf life, which means increased refrigeration and ensure a stable supply, he said. He added that the colors of carrot or beet juice and its synthetic cousins may have different stickiness, requiring the factory to replace the pump or pipes for applying the color.
Likewise, more natural dyes are needed to get a satisfactory color than synthetic dyes, so the recipe may have to be re-formed. “Your sugar or flour may fall off,” Mr Herman said.
This is assuming that enough carrots, cabbage, beets and spirulina (algae) can be used to replicate the orange, green and blue of fries and sports drinks. Mr Herrmann’s company uses proprietary seeds on most of its colors, and he said he would not “put the seeds on the ground for crops until we know there is a customer there.”
He added: “If everyone switches immediately, there is simply not enough materials in the world to meet the demand.”
Because it may take ten times more material from natural colors to materials that mimic small amounts of synthetic dyes, the cost is also likely to climb.
Food ingredients in the food supply “has proven to be safe”, the food industry trade group Consumer Brands Association said in a statement late Tuesday, “Removing these safe ingredients will not change the industry’s commitment to providing consumers with safe, affordable and convenient product options.”
Stacy Flathau, a joint director of corporate affairs officer for WK Kellogg, said in an emailed statement that 85% of its cereals have no artificial colors, but it is removing synthetic colors from cereals sold in schools. The company added that it looks forward to working with the FDA to determine ways to remove artificial pigments from foods containing them.
Colors growing from scratch
Concerns about the safety of food coloring, especially about children’s behavior, have been rising. California’s 2021 health assessment shows that “synthetic food dyes are associated with inattention, ADHD and agitation in sensitive children.” In Europe, foods containing some dyes come with warning labels. Health Canada allows the use of food dyes, but strictly limits the notes on its website, which suggests insufficient evidence for children on these effects.
California banned artificial dyes in school meals in 2024, and last month, West Virginia introduced a statewide ban that is the most comprehensive in the country. More and more states are considering restrictions.
Sensient has been building combinations of natural colors, assuming that by 2030, food companies will leave synthetic materials. But the timeline may be accelerating.
The senses develop their natural color from the seeds. Mr Herrmann said it has developed various beets that are larger and more saturated in color. The company provides these seeds to farmers around the world. After harvesting the produce, sensitive pulp, crushing purple sweet potatoes, carrots and grapes into a rainbow of extracts, powders and liquids.
The process also eliminates the taste of most basic fruits, vegetables, or other plants, but not all.
“You never get the flavor out of the strawberry juice. It’s going to be a little acidic, a little strawberry. It’s great for strawberry flavor in children’s cereals,” said Linsey Herman, vice president of R&D at Natural Path, which is organic cereals and other foods. “But no one died from carrot-scented grains.”
Charles Spence, a professor of food psychology at Oxford University, says that even though the color (whether natural or synthetic) doesn’t usually change the taste of matte pastries, fries or soda, the appearance does show some flavor (or the intensity of the flavor) to consumers.
“If you reduce the color saturation of your drink, your mind may tell you that it tastes less or less sour than the original color,” Mr Spence said. “A more boring shade may indicate that it is a duller flavor or stale for some, while for others it may be a more natural color, found more in nature.”
Mr Hermann said that in recent years, about 80% of new food and beverages have been made with natural colors. However, food companies go out of their way to convert popular existing products into situations where consumers may reject them.
“They have to understand what a stubborn fan wants and make sure that the natural product reaches the synthetic shade as much as possible,” he said.
