General Mills to remove artificial dyes from products after Texas AG investigation

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(Credit: General Mills)

AUSTIN - The U.S.-based food production company General Mills has agreed to remove artificial dyes from its products by the summer of 2026.

The decision comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the company and issued a demand for the additives to be removed. 

General Mills to Remove Dyes

The Latest:

According to the Tuesday press release from General Mills, "certified colors" will be removed from all U.S. cereals and K-12 school foods by the summer of 2026. They also said their entire U.S. retail portfolio will receive the same treatment by the following summer.

The change impacts only a small portion of the company’s K-12 portfolio, they say, as they claim nearly all current school foods in their production are made without artificial food dyes. They say 85% of their entire U.S. portfolio is made without certified colors. 

Paxton Investigates General Mills

The backstory:

In May, Paxton launched an investigation into the company, claiming they illegally represent certain food products as "healthy."

Paxton targeted certain products like Trix and Lucky Charms, criticizing the use of petroleum-based food colorings in their production.

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FDA aims to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food by end of 2026

The FDA currently allows 36 color additives, including eight synthetic dyes.

The attorney general’s news release called for General Mills to sell the cereals without the dyes in Texas and the U.S., like they do in other countries where the dyes are banned. 

What they're saying:

General Mills' chairman and CEO, Jeff Harmening, included the following statement in Tuesday's release:

"Across the long arc of our history, General Mills has moved quickly to meet evolving consumer needs, and reformulating our product portfolio to remove certified colors is yet another example. Today, the vast majority of our foods are made without certified colors and we’re working to ensure that will soon apply to our full portfolio. Knowing the trust families place in us, we are leading the way on removing certified colors in cereals and K-12 foods by next summer. We’re committed to continuing to make food that tastes great and is accessible to all."

Paxton's statement following the announcement reads in part:

General Mills removing these toxic artificial dyes is an incredible win for the health of our children and all Americans. I look forward to finalizing an agreement with General Mills to ensure that this promise is kept.

FDA Targets Artificial Dyes

Dig deeper:

The U.S. Health and Human Services and Food and Drug Administration is planning to phase out more petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply by the end of 2026.

The agency said they will establish a standard and timeline for industry to switch to natural alternatives, revoke authorization for dyes not in production within coming weeks and take steps to remove remaining dyes from the market.

Synthetic dyes are petroleum-based chemicals that don’t occur in nature. They’re widely used in foods to "enhance the visual appeal" of products, according to Sensient Food Colors, a St. Louis-based supplier of food colors and flavorings.

Nine dyes, including Red 3, have been allowed in U.S. food. The other common color additives in food are Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. Two permitted colors are used more rarely: Citrus Red 2 and Orange B.