Kraft Heinz becomes latest company to remove dyes from food products under RFK Jr.'s HHS

Food company Kraft Heinz is the latest food giant to announce it will be removing artificial dyes from its food products and will not release any new products with artificial dyes. 

“The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of (artificial) colors across the remainder of our portfolio,” Kraft Heinz’s North America president Pedro Navio said late last week.

Kraft Heinz's decision comes amid pressure from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who reportedly met with executives from Kraft Heinz and General Mills, telling them to remove the dyes before the end of his term, according to CNN.

In April, Kennedy said he wants eight commonly used food dyes phased out by the end of 2026. 

The FDA under the Biden administration banned Red Dye No. 3, which some studies have linked to health problems, before President Donald Trump took office and Kennedy was sworn in as HHS secretary. 

The Food and Drug Administration currently allows the use of multiple synthetic dyes in food. Kennedy has been an outspoken critic of dyes in foods, arguing that they are linked to health issues. 

The "Make America Healthy Again" movement has also been critical pesticides and toxic ingredients in American food.

The CEO of Tyson Foods announced in May that the company has been working to remove petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food products.

Food and Beverage Corp. PepsiCo is expected to phase out artificial ingredients from their products by the end of 2025, according to CEO Ramon Laguarta.

"We've been leading the transformation of the industry now for a long time on sodium reduction, sugar reduction and better fats," Laguarta said in April, according to Fox News.

Other companies making progress with removing dyes include Danone North America and TreeHouse Foods.

Earlier this month, Florida GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna introduced legislation titled the "Do or Dye Act of 2025," which would codify Kennedy's directive to remove the eight artificial dyes linked to health issues. 

“For too long, the FDA has turned a blind eye while toxic, petroleum-based dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5 have flooded our grocery shelves—often in foods marketed directly to kids,” Luna said in a statement. 

"The Do or Dye Act puts an end to this insanity and takes real action to protect American families. It’s time we stop feeding our children chemicals that are banned in other countries. Let’s Make America Healthy Again."