MAHA: Hershey, Smucker’s Latest Brands Pledging to Drop Artificial Dyes
More companies are following the Trump administration’s call to Make America Healthy Again, as Hershey and Smucker’s both announced they will drop synthetic dyes from snacks beginning 2027.
Bloomberg quoted a Hershey spokesperson citing state regulations in their decision to ultimately go in this direction.
“There is a patchwork of state regulations emerging that is creating confusion and will ultimately increase consumer costs” the Hershey spokesperson said, concluding that removing the artificial dyes is a “natural next step in our program to ensure consumers have options to fit their lifestyle while maintaining trust and confidence in our products.”
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the company for taking a step in the MAHA direction.
“.@Hersheys just pledged to eliminate synthetic dyes from its candy by the end of 2027,” he wrote. “I call on all other companies to follow their lead and help Make America Healthy Again.”
That is not the only company as of late to heed the call. A recent press release from Smucker’s revealed that the company plans to remove FD&C colors by the end of 2027. While it noted that the majority of its products are already free of artificial dyes, it specifies, “This removal will impact its sugar-free fruit spreads and ice cream toppings as well as certain products from its Hostess® brand portfolio.”
And while it states that most of the foods provided to K-12 schools are absent of these artificial dyes, Smucker’s is working to ensure that all products with FD&C colors are out of schools by the 2026/2027 school year.
“Throughout our 128-year history, we have successfully evolved our portfolio and product offerings based on shifts in consumer preferences,” Mark Smucker, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board, said in a statement.
“Our commitment to remove FD&C colors from our sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and sweet baked goods products represents the latest example of our desire to evolve and our ability to continue to innovate to deliver on the expectations of our consumers,” Smucker continued.
“Glad to see @smuckers removing synthetic dyes from their products by the end of 2027,” Kennedy said, again urging other companies to follow suit.
Other companies making similar moves includes: Kraft Heinz, which announced in June that it would “remove the remaining FD&C colors from its U.S. product portfolio before the end of 2027″; General Mills, which aims to eliminate “certified colors from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027″; Nestlé, aiming to remove all FD&C colors by next year; and Conagra Brands Inc., which plans to eliminate artificial dyes from U.S. frozen food products by the end of 2025 and eliminate the “use of FD&C colors in the manufacturing of products across its U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027,” per its press release.
