通用磨坊宣布美国全线谷物早餐去除人工色素

通用磨坊（General Mills）宣布，已在其美国所有谷物早餐中去除人工色素，改用果蔬及香料（如姜黄、辣椒粉）来源的天然染料 1。该公司称其90%的美国零售产品已不含人工染料，部分仍含人工色素的产品（如Betty Crocker蛋糕粉和Fruit Roll-Ups）将在2027年底前过渡到天然染料 1。

此举受到消费者、零售商及政界推动 1。Target表示将在5月底前停止销售含人工色素的谷物早餐，Walmart表示将在2027年1月前从其自有品牌产品中去除人工色素 1。WK Kellogg本月早些时候宣布将在今年年底前从其所有美国谷物早餐中去除人工色素 1。此外，通用磨坊去年夏天与德克萨斯州总检察长Ken Paxton签署协议，承诺在2027年底前从所有产品中去除合成染料 1。该公司曾在2015年去除Trix中的人工色素，但两年后恢复 1。FDA去年禁止了一种石油基染料Red 3，因部分研究表明其在实验大鼠中致癌 1。

General Mills has removed artificial colors from all of its cereal breakfasts in the United States, replacing them with natural dyes derived from fruits, vegetables, and spices such as turmeric and paprika 1. The company reports that 90% of its U.S. retail products are now free of artificial dyes 1. For the remaining products that still contain artificial colors, including Betty Crocker cake mixes and Fruit Roll-Ups, the transition to natural dyes will be completed by the end of 2027 1.

This shift follows an agreement General Mills signed last summer with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, committing to remove synthetic dyes from all of its products by the end of 2027 1. The company had previously removed artificial colors from Trix in 2015 but restored them two years later 1. The broader industry transition is also being accelerated by competitors and major retailers, with WK Kellogg announcing earlier this month that it will eliminate artificial colors from all its U.S. cereal breakfasts by the end of this year 1. Furthermore, Target has stated it will stop selling cereal breakfasts containing artificial colors by the end of May, and Walmart plans to remove artificial colors from its private-label products by January 2027 1. These corporate changes also come after the FDA banned the petroleum-based dye Red 3 last year due to some studies showing it caused cancer in laboratory rats 1.