The Kraft Heinz Company KHC announced on Tuesday that it will not launch any new products in the U.S. with Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors, effective immediately.
The company also announced it will remove the remaining FD&C colors from its U.S. product portfolio before the end of 2027.
According to Kraft Heinz, nearly 90% of its U.S. product lineup is already free of FD&C colors.
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For the remaining items, the company has launched a comprehensive strategy to remove, replace, or reinvent colors to meet the growing consumer demand for cleaner ingredient labels.
Kraft Heinz’s color reformulation effort is anchored in the “3Rs”: removing synthetic dyes when not essential, substituting artificial coloring with natural options, or developing new color solutions when alternatives aren’t available.
The company has been on a journey to reduce FD&C colors, notably removing artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors from Kraft Mac & Cheese in 2016. Heinz Tomato Ketchup has always derived its red color naturally from tomatoes, the company said in a press release.
Kraft Heinz is also working with licensees of its brands to encourage them to remove FD&C colors.
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While FD&C colors have a long history of FDA approval, Kraft Heinz is making this change as part of its ongoing evolution to meet consumer preferences.
Beyond color removal, Kraft Heinz is dedicated to improving the nutritional profile of its products. Over the past five years, the company has made over 1,000 recipe changes to improve product nutrition, including adding protein and fiber, and reducing sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
The company said that it is on track to reduce nearly 55 million pounds of sugar across its portfolio by the end of this year.
The company emphasizes its commitment to quality sourcing, with examples like California-grown tomatoes for Heinz Ketchup, Ohio and Michigan cucumbers for Claussen pickles, Idaho potatoes for Ore-Ida, and Upstate New York dairy for Philadelphia cream cheese.
The company said that this initiative underscores Kraft Heinz’s continuous efforts to evolve its products to deliver superiority to consumers, focusing on nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food.
Price Action: KHC shares are trading higher by 0.69% to $25.97 at last check Tuesday.
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