It is the second food company to make that pledge this week
of ConsumerAffairsJune 18, 2025
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General Mills to eliminate certified colors from all U.S. cereals and K-12 school foods by summer 2026
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Full U.S. retail portfolio to follow suit by the end of 2027
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Over 85% of current U.S. offerings already free of certified colors
In another victory for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s campaign to improve food, General Mills pledged to eliminate certified colors from all U.S. cereals and all foods served in K-12 schools by summer 2026. The company also committed to expanding the change across its entire U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027.
General Mills announcement comes on the heels of Kraft Heinzs announcement that it will removed artificial colors from U.S. food products by 2027.
General Mills characterized the move as aligning with the companys broader mission to meet shifting consumer expectations for transparency and cleaner ingredients. General Mills Chairman and CEO, Jeff Harmening, emphasized the initiative as part of the brands legacy of consumer-centric innovation.
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, he said.
Colors have already been removed from many products
Currently, 85% of the General Mills U.S. retail portfolio and nearly all K-12 school offerings are already produced without certified colors. The reformulation effort will therefore impact a relatively small segment of products but represents a symbolic and operational milestone in the companys clean-label evolution.
General Mills said it has consistently made improvements to its food products, such as doubling vitamin D in its cereals in 2023, reducing sodium by 20% across key categories since 2019, and leading the industry in whole grain and sugar-reduction initiatives.
The company has positioned itself as a trailblazer in crafting food that not only satisfies consumers’ palates but also addresses growing nutritional concerns.
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