Kellogg’s Says Artificial Dye Removal From Cereals Also Covers Canadian Products

Boxes of various Kellogg's cereals are displayed on shelves at a Walmart Supercenter in a file photo. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Kellogg’s decision to remove artificial dyes from its products including popular cereals also applies to items sold in Canada, the company has confirmed.

The company made the announcement in response to moves by the U.S. administration to remove synthetic food dyes from products.

Kellogg’s confirmed to The Epoch Times that the artificial dye removal would apply to all of its products, including those sold in Canada.

“Kellogg has evolved our portfolio of cereals to provide consumers with more of what they want and need—such as whole grains and fibre and less of what they don’t, including through reductions in sugar and sodium,” the company said.

It said it would remove FD&C colours from cereals served in schools for the 2026–27 school year. FD&C colours are artificial dyes approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Kellogg’s also said it would not launch any new products with FD&C colours starting in January 2026.

It added it would remove the colours from the “small percentage of our foods in retail that contain them today, by the end of 2027.”

The company’s Fruit Loops cereal uses synthetic dyes for colouring in the United States but uses fruit juice for colouring in Canada.

Health Canada told The Epoch Times in an email that it “uses a risk-based approach” to managing food additives similar to “like-minded regulators internationally.”

“Health Canada will restrict or no longer allow the permitted use of a food additive if there is a safety reason to take such action,” the federal department said in an email.

Some of the artificial dyes that the FDA warns about are permitted for use in Canada, according to Health Canada. They include Yellow No. 6, Yellow No. 5, Red No. 40, and Blue No. 1.

The FDA under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. banned Red No. 3 dye in January, saying food companies had until Jan. 15, 2027, to “reformulate” their products. The dye will also need to be removed from medications by Jan. 18, 2028. The dye gives foods a bright red colour and has been used in candies, icing, cookies, cupcakes, and more, the FDA said.

Kennedy has previously said he believes “toxic chemicals” in food, medicine, and the environment have led to an increase in chronic health issues, including diabetes, neurological diseases, and cancer. He has said dyes are linked to hyperactivity and learning disorders, citing a 2021 report by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

Red No. 3 dye is permitted in foods in Canada, and is listed as “Erythrosine,” according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Kellogg’s said consumers have been seeking “simpler foods” and noted that its products also include nutrients like iron, vitamin D, and folate.

“The vast majority—85 percent—of our cereal sales contain no FD&C colours and none of our products have contained Red No. 3 for years,” Kellogg’s said.

Kellogg’s said it is “committed to continue working” with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to find “effective solutions” to remove FD&C colours from foods.

In April, Health Secretary Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said they planned to see synthetic food dyes removed from the U.S. food supply, over concerns of a link between the dyes and health conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obesity, and diabetes.

Jeff Louderback and Reuters contributed to this article.