General Mills previously attempted to use natural colors in Trix cereal, but this was unsuccessful as consumers preferred the original bright colors. The company stated that they heard from many Trix fans who missed the vibrant colors and classic taste.
The FDA, under Commissioner Marty Makary, is planning to ban artificial food coloring, describing the prior use as a large uncontrolled experiment on children. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that the industry has voluntarily agreed to phase out artificial dyes, though no official timeline has been set.
General Mills supports a national standard for phasing out artificial colors and claims that nearly all their products are already free of synthetic colorings like Red 40 and Blue 1.
”Consumers have differing food preferences," Golden Valley-based General Mills said at the time, “and we heard from many Trix fans that they missed the bright, vibrant colors and the nostalgic taste of the classic Trix cereal.”
On Tuesday, the nation’s top public health officials indicated those fans might again find themselves disappointed under a plan to ban artificial food coloring.
“For the last 50 years, we have been running one of the largest uncontrolled scientific experiments in the world on our nation’s children without their consent,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference. “And today, we are removing these petroleum-based chemicals from their food supply.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said “the industry has voluntarily agreed” to phase out artificial dyes. The FDA has not yet set a timeline for that phase-out, but food companies did not push back on Kennedy’s characterization.
“As a leader in food, we strongly support a national, industry-wide standard, and we’re committed to continuing the conversation with the administration,” General Mills said in a statement Wednesday. Nearly all of the company’s products are free of synthetic colorings like Red 40 and Blue 1.
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