RFK Jr. Celebrates: ‘Artificial Dyes and Additives Are Being Removed’ from America’s Food Supply

Artificial dyes and additives are being removed from America’s food supply, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week, celebrating the moves many food giants are making to Make America Healthy Again.

“Big food brands are listening. From cereals to spices to fast food, artificial dyes and additives are being removed for [sic] America’s food supply,” Kennedy said in an X post.

“Thank you, @POTUS, for empowering me to put the health of our children and families first. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again,” he added.

He shared a clip from Fox News showcasing upcoming changes announced by food giants including General Mills, Kraft Heinz, McCormick, and fast food chains such as Steak ‘n Shake and In-N-Out Burger.

In a press release this week, for example, Kraft Heinz announced that it will not launch any new products with artificial dyes, and will remove them from remaining products by the end of 2027.

“For the small portion of products that currently contain FD&C colors, the Company has invested significant resources, mobilizing a team to address this complex challenge with a three-pronged approach (3Rs),” the press release noted.

“The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio,” Pedro Navio, North America President at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement.

“In fact, we removed artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors from our beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016,” he added.

Similarly, General Mills announced this week that it is working to remove artificial colors from all of its cereals in the United States, as well as from foods in K-12 schools.

“This change impacts only a small portion of General Mills’ K-12 school portfolio, as nearly all its school offerings today are made without certified colors. Similarly, 85 percent of General Mills’ full U.S. retail portfolio is currently made without certified colors,” it announced in a press release.

These moves follow the Trump administration prioritizing the MAHA agenda, as top health officials have called for action. In April, for example, officials announced that  “petroleum-based food dyes” would be removed from the American food supply.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary said at the time of the announcement:

For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals. The scientific community has conducted a number of studies raising concerns about the correlation between petroleum-based synthetic dyes and several health conditions, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, cancer, genomic disruption, GI issues – as I’ve seen in the hospital, and allergic reactions.

In May, In-N-Out announced it was removing artificial dyes —  Yellow 5 and Red 40 — from items on the menu, and Steak ‘n Shake is aiming to kiss seed oils goodbye, using tallow instead.