Kraft Heinz has announced it will stop using FD&C artificial colorings on their products sold in the United States.
Kraft Heinz is an American company known as Heinz, Kraft, Jell-O, Philadelphia or Kool-Aid. The company has decided to immediately start with this change on their new products and it is estimated before 2027 these artificial colorings will be completely eliminated.
The government has already implemented some measures so that children have a healthier life, and these artificial colorings have been known to be damaging for the little ones. So, let’s see more about Kraft Heinz’s decision.
FD&C artificial colors
FD&C stand for Food, Drug and Cosmetic and they are artificial coloring approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I’m sure if you think about food, drinks, medicine or cosmetics, you can find a product whose color was weird for you because it seemed not natural for you and here is when FD&C colors do their job.
Kraft Heinz’s Decision
The American company has taken action on this situation and they won’t launch any new products containing FD&C colors, which will be eliminated from current products.
They have found more natural alternatives to substitute them before 2027 ends. According to Kraft Heinz, almost 90% of their products don’t contain these artificial coloring anymore.
How is this done?
It’s not an easy process, elimination of every FD&C colors is done through a process called 3Rs: removing, replacing and reinventing.
What this process means is: removing colors when they are not necessary for the product or consumer’s experience, replacing artificial colors for natural colors if possible and reinventing new color tones or combinations in case there’s no natural color that can replace the artificial one.
Products with FD&C
Kraft Heinz has recognized there are some of their products that still contain these colors, but they are just a few. Drinks, and desserts from well known brands are the categories where you will find these colors: Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, Jell-O and Jet-Puffed.
How long does this process last?
This is not the first time Kraft Heinz has done this process. In 2016, they removed artificial colorings from their classic Kraft Mac & Cheese, whose color comes from natural ingredients like paprika and turmeric.
What’s more, Heinz ketchup, one of their most sold products, has never contained artificial colorings because its color comes from tomatoes grown in California.
The reason behind this decision
Although these colors are legal, some studies have found out their safety in children’s behavior and mental health. This has been worrying many people and regulating, that’s why Kraft Heinz is eliminating FD&C from their products.
Even Secretary of Health, Robert. Kennedy Jr, has stated the government is thinking about removing one by one all the additives and colorings that can be a health risk.
Problems with the 3rs process
As we mentioned before this change is a very complex process. Why? Because obtaining specific bright colors like an intense blue from natural sources is difficult and expensive, since huge amounts of pigment have to be extracted from fruit, vegetables or other resources.
Also, natural colors tend to be less intense and stable, which is a technical challenge when they want to keep their products appealing with the reformulation.
From now on, everytime you see a product with bright colors, you might think twice before buying it. We are so used to artificial colors in our food that we ignore the negative effects they can have, that’s why Kraft Heinz’s decision is so important so that other companies are aware of the problem. Will you keep consuming products with artificial colorings?
