RFK Jr. Scores MAHA Win From Cereal Giant

WK Kellogg Co. announced it will remove synthetic dyes from its cereals by the end of 2027.

The cereal giant’s products include Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops, and others.

The company committed to the following:

• We are reformulating our cereals served in schools to not include FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year.
• We will not be launching any new products with FD&C colors beginning in January 2026.
• We will remove FD&C colors from the small percentage of our foods in retail that contain them today, by the end of 2027.

“Froot Loops is finally following its nose — toward common sense. Thanks to the many parents who spoke out and pressured @KelloggsUS to remove harmful food dyes from its products. I urge more companies to step up and join the movement to Make America Healthy Again,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.

Froot Loops is finally following its nose — toward common sense. Thanks to the many parents who spoke out and pressured @KelloggsUS to remove harmful food dyes from its products. I urge more companies to step up and join the movement to Make America Healthy Again. pic.twitter.com/1mGKXehbwZ

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) July 22, 2025

More from Bloomberg:

The cereal maker said 85% of its sales are in foods that don’t contain the dyes. Products with dyes include Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, and some variations of Rice Krispies.

Candy company Ferrero International SA announced earlier this month that it agreed to buy WK Kellogg for an enterprise value of $3.1 billion.

Froot Loops in particular has been called out by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again movement to rid the US food supply of artificial colors.

Activists and health officials in the Trump administration have linked artificial colors, which are primarily made from petroleum-based chemicals, to conditions including hyperactivity, obesity and diabetes in children. Companies and industry groups have long maintained that the ingredients are safe.

“It took government leaders in a position of power to educate the public and to fight for the removal of artificial food dyes for it to actually happen,” Vani Hari, an activist known as the Food Babe, said late Friday. Hari led a petition urging WK Kellogg to remove artificial dyes from its cereals.

Froot Loops in particular have been criticized by health activists as being extremely unhealthy for children.

“Fruit Loops should not be fed to children. Or any human for that matter… They contain high fructose corn syrup, seed oils, and multiple food dyes associated with behavioral issues in children,” Paul Saladino said in a past video.

“Feed your kids real whole foods and forget the fake processed garbage,” he added.

Check it out:

Fruit Loops should not be fed to children. Or any human for that matter…

They contain high fructose corn syrup, seed oils, and multiple food dyes associated with behavioral issues in children…

Feed your kids real whole foods and forget the fake processed garbage… pic.twitter.com/lb47NBkf4m

— Paul Saladino, MD (@paulsaladinomd) June 28, 2023

Food Dive noted:

Few companies have been more under fire from the “Make America Healthy Again” movement than WK Kellogg

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Fox News in September that “brighter colors in Froot Loops” are “literally poisoning our kids.” A month later, hundreds of protesters lined up outside WK Kellogg’s headquarters, calling for the removal of artificial dyes.

Food companies deny claims that artificial dyes can pose health risks, noting the dyes have been deemed safe by regulators and scientists around the world. However, some states go further than federal regulators in ingredient restrictions, WK Kellogg and other companies have little choice but to act.

West Virginia and Texas have put in place measures requiring companies to remove artificial colors, and several other states have introduced bills aimed at food additives. In April, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office is investigating WK Kellogg for potentially violating the state’s consumer protection laws due to health claims tied to its cereals.

The move by WK Kellogg comes nearly two weeks after Nutella maker Ferrero announced it would buy the company for $3.1 billion. The pledge to remove artificial dyes could help favorably position WK Kellogg as it seeks federal approval on the deal.

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