Companies will be 'held accountable,' AG vows
of ConsumerAffairsMay 15, 2025
- AG Ken Paxton launches probe into General Mills for marketing cereals with artificial dyes as healthy
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Trix, Lucky Charms among products allegedly containing petroleum-based colorings linked to health risks
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Paxton says companies will be held accountable for toxic ingredients and deceptive advertising
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated an investigation into General Mills, Inc., accusing the food giant of illegally misrepresenting its popular cereal products, such as Trix and Lucky Charms, as healthy despite containing petroleum-based synthetic dyes linked to multiple health concerns.
Paxton issued a civil investigative demand (CID) to General Mills as part of a new legal probe examining whether the company violated state consumer protection laws by marketing products containing artificial dyes as a good source of vitamins and minerals.
These dyes, often used to make foods more visually appealing, have been associated with conditions such as hyperactivity disorders, endocrine dysfunction, autoimmune disease, obesity, and even cancer in children, according to recent scientific findings.
Under my watch, big food companies should be on high alert that they will be held accountable if they put toxic ingredients in our food and engage in false marketing, said Paxton. Im proud to stand with the Trump Administration and Secretary Kennedy in taking on petroleum-based synthetic dyes and will always fight to protect the health of the American people.
Backtracking on dye removal
In 2015, General Mills made headlines by announcing the removal of artificial dyes from six of its cereals. However, just two years later, the company quietly resumed selling products with synthetic dyeswithout updating the public or providing any warning about the potential health risks.
The companys reformulated dye-free versions are still available in other countries, prompting questions as to why American consumers are not afforded the same consideration. Paxtons office says the continued use of synthetic dyes in U.S. versions of these productswhile labeling them as healthyraises red flags about deceptive marketing.
Wider scrutiny of Big Food
The General Mills investigation is not the only case on Paxtons radar. He is also currently investigating Kelloggs for similar alleged violations of Texas consumer protection laws, as he sharpens his focus on food companies that he thinks may be misleading consumers or compromising public health through questionable ingredient practices.
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