Nestle Says It Will Ditch Artificial Dyes by Next Year

Nestle announced Wednesday that it will eliminate artificial colors from its US food and beverage lineup by mid-2026. The company joins Kraft Heinz and General Mills, which recently made similar pledges to drop artificial dyes from their US products by 2027, the AP reports. General Mills also committed to removing dyes from all cereals and foods served in K-12 schools by 2026. Conagra Brands, which produces a wide variety of food products under brands including Chef Boyardee, said Wednesday that it will remove artificial colors from products sold to K-12 schools by the 2026-27 school year, reports Reuters.

Consumer sentiment is largely behind these moves: an AP-NORC poll shows about two-thirds of Americans support restricting or reformulating processed foods to remove added sugars and dyes. States are also taking action. California and West Virginia have banned artificial dyes in school foods, and Texas will require warning labels on products containing certain additives starting in 2027 under a bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday.

Federal regulators are also tightening oversight. In January, the US banned the use of Red 3 dye in foods, more than three decades after it was removed from cosmetics over cancer concerns. The FDA said it aims to phase out synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, mostly by encouraging voluntary industry changes. Nestle's latest pledge isn't its first; the company promised to drop artificial flavors and colors in the US back in 2015 but didn't follow through completely. Nestle says 90% of its US products are now free of synthetic dyes, but some items, like Nesquik Banana Strawberry milk, still contain Red 3. Food manufacturers have been given until January 2027 to phase out the dye.