Ditching Artificial Dyes, Food Giants Are Going Natural

The color of your morning bowl of Froot Loops is about to change.
Major manufacturers including Nestle, General Mills, and Kraft Heinz have within the next two years.
91自拍 Professor of Food Science and Nutrition Indika Edirisinghe says it was time for the food and beverage industry to reevaluate the use of artificial dyes in their products, but he also warns that switching over to natural food dye doesn鈥檛 come without challenges.
鈥淥ne of the big challenges with the natural color is stability and consistency鈥攖hey are not as stable as artificial colors,鈥 says Edirisinghe. 鈥淭heir lifespan is maybe weeks or a few months. Over time, they may degrade when exposed to environmental factors such as heat and light, resulting in discoloration. That鈥檚 going to be a challenge.鈥
Though Nestle says more than 90 percent of its current product categories do not contain synthetic colors, most of the products in the food industry that still do use them are targeted toward children鈥攖hink breakfast cereals and sweets.
With some safety regulations having taken effect decades ago, Edirisinghe says that he thinks it鈥檚 the right time for the industry to take another look at those standards.
In particular, Edirisinghe points to a as evidence that the industry needed to reassess those dyes.
鈥淚n the last 20 years, the rate [of children with ADHD] has increased from 6 percent to 10 percent,鈥 says Edirisinghe. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big jump.鈥
Another concern that Edirisinghe expressed is the amount of time that the industry will need to establish new formulations and comply with existing or new regulations.
Though the timeline before fully transitioning to natural dyes varies by company鈥攔anging from summer 2026 to the end of 2027鈥擡dirisinghe says he is confident that the industry has enough time to properly implement any changes.
鈥淚 think that timeline is feasible given the robust structures the industry has,鈥 says Edirisinghe. 鈥淲e are talking about billion-dollar companies. They have resources, they have money, and they can execute their plan in a short-term period.鈥