Food Industry Scrambles To Remove Artificial Colors From Products

The food industry is working hard to remove artificial colors from its products, not because of a government mandate – the feds say the colors are safe – but because of a consumer mandate. Buyers of candy, breakfast cereals, soft drinks, and other products no longer want to see the words Yellow 5, Blue 1, or Red 40 on food ingredient labels. The new concerns are traceable to studies that link artificial colors – dubbed “neurotoxins” – to childhood hyperactivity disorders. So food and beverage companies and restaurant chains – Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, General Mills, Kellogg's, Nestlé, Mars, ConAgra, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, etc. – are phasing out fake colors, replacing them with real colors. It’s a tricky process that hopes to satisfy the clean label trend while preserving the original look and flavor.