Protesters demand Kellogg remove artificial colors from Froot Loops and
other cereals
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[October 16, 2024]
By DEE-ANN DURBIN
Dozens of people rallied outside the Michigan headquarters of WK Kellogg
Co. Tuesday, demanding that the company remove artificial dyes from its
breakfast cereals in the U.S.
Kellogg, the maker of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks, announced nearly a
decade ago that it would remove artificial colors and ingredients from
its products by 2018.
The company has done that in other countries. In Canada, for example,
Froot Loops are colored with concentrated carrot juice, watermelon juice
and blueberry juice. But in the U.S., the cereal still contains
artificial colors and BHT, a chemical preservative.
On Tuesday, activists said they were delivering petitions with more than
400,000 signatures asking WK Kellogg to remove artificial dyes and BHT
from their cereals. Protesters said there was evidence that artificial
dyes can contribute to behavioral issues in children.
“I'm here for all the mothers who struggle to feed their kids healthy
food without added chemicals,” said Vani Hari, a food activist who
previously pressured Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from its
macaroni and cheese.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has reviewed and evaluated
the effects of color additives on children's behavior but believes that
most children have no adverse effects when consuming them.
Battle Creek, Michigan-based WK Kellogg became a separate company last
year when its snack division was spun off to form Kellanova. Kellanova
kept the company's international cereal business; it now makes Froot
Loops with natural dyes for markets like Australia and the United
Kingdom.
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Boxes of Kellogg's Fruit Loops cereal are displayed in a Target
store in Pittsburgh, Nov. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
WK Kellogg said Tuesday that its
foods are safe and all of its ingredients comply with federal
regulations.
“Today, more than 85% of our cereal sales contain no colors from
artificial sources,” the company said in a statement. “We
continuously innovate new cereals that do not contain colors from
artificial sources across our biggest brands, offering a broad
choice of nourishing foods for our consumers.”
Kellogg said it announced its plan to remove artificial colors and
ingredients almost a decade ago because it believed customers were
seeking foods with natural ingredients and would welcome the change.
But the company said it found that consumer preferences differed
widely across markets.
“For example, there is better reception to our cereal recipes that
utilize natural-color alternatives within the Canadian market than
in the U.S.,” the company said.
Still, Kellogg may have to reconsider. Last month, Democratic Gov.
Gavin Newsom of California signed a bill banning six food dyes from
food served in the state’s public schools, making it the first state
in the U.S. to take such a step.
California's law bans four of the dyes now used in Froot Loops: Red
Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6 and Blue Dye No. 1.
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