KRAFT Heinz, which makes iconic products like ketchup and macaroni and cheese, has announced a sweeping production change that will affect all its items.
The food company has already started changing the recipes of time-worn staples and vowed that every new product will abide by the fresh rule.
Food production giant KraftHeinz has announced a major change that will affect all of its products[/caption]
The company is behind iconic shelf staples like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Heinz Ketchup[/caption]
The Kraft Heinz Company, which owns brands like Oscar Mayer, Velveeta, Jell-O, and more, made the pivot under the guidance of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Since taking office, the political scion has vowed to crack down on food, drug, and cosmetic (FC&C) colors like Red Dye 40, which he’s looking to ban entirely.
Now, Kraft Heinz’s North America president Pedro Savio said Tuesday that the company will remove artificial dyes from every product.
This came after Kennedy announced that he had met with food industry leaders in April to discuss removing dyes from packaged products.
He said the industry “voluntarily agreed” to phase out the dyes in the next two years.
However, at the time, no major brands like Mars, PepsiCo, or General Mills released statements to confirm they were cooperating, Axios reported.
Savio said the decision was easy because 90% of the company’s sold products are already free of the synthetic dyes.
One of the brand’s most iconic items, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, has never had artificial dyes, according to the president.
Meanwhile, the bright orange Kraft Mac & Cheese has relied on natural coloring since 2016.
“The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio,” said Navio.
The company is going to achieve its new initiative by using natural colors or “reinventing new colors and shades” if there is no natural match.
INDUSTRY OVERHAUL
Companies behind popular products like Gatorade, Skittles, and M&M’s were scrambling to change their recipes after RFK Jr’s announcement earlier this year.
At the time, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said, “For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals.”
The commissioner cited one study that found artificial colors could be associated with “increased hyperactivity” among children when consumed.
Makary said that this change wouldn’t be a “silver bullet” solution for health, but was significant to prioritizing children’s well-being.
“The F in FDA stands for food,” Makary emphasized.
“Now, there’s no one ingredient that accounts for the child chronic disease epidemic.
“And let’s be honest, taking petroleum-based food dyes out of the food supply is not a silver bullet that will instantly make America’s children healthy, but it is one important step.”
RFK Jr’s overhaul plan has also affected major retailers like Walmart and Target.
And Sam’s Club has sparked an initiative to erase 40 ingredients from its in-house Member’s Mark brand.
