The multinational food products company announced that it will eliminate the use of colorants in all its foods and beverages by 2026
The movement has strong public support. An AP-NORC survey revealed that approximately two-thirds of Americans are in favor of restricting or reformulating processed foods to eliminate ingredients such as colorings and added sugars.
In line with this trend, several states have begun to legislate on the issue. California and West Virginia have already banned the use of artificial colorings in foods served in schools.
In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott recently signed a law that will require starting in 2027, warning labels on products with artificial colorings or additives. These labels will indicate that the ingredients in question "are not recommended for human consumption" in countries such as Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.
At the federal level, measures are also being taken. In January, shortly before the start of Donald Trump's presidency, the use of Red 3 coloring was banned in the United States, more than three decades after it was banned in cosmetics due to potential cancer risks.
Additionally, in April, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced a major plan to eliminate synthetic colorings from the American food supply before the end of 2026. This plan will rely mainly on voluntary cooperation from companies in the sector.
It is worth recalling that Nestlé had already made a similar promise in 2015, when it committed to eliminating artificial flavors and colors from its products by the end of that year, a goal it did not fully achieve. However, the company claims to have made significant progress since then.
With this new promise, Nestlé strengthens its alignment with emerging public health policies and the growing demand from consumers for more natural and transparent products, highlighting the great victory achieved by Robert Kennedy with his measures.
Nestlé USA announced on Wednesday, June 25, that it will completely eliminate artificial colorings from all its food and beverage products in the United States by mid-2026.
This decision is part of a growing movement within the food industry to offer cleaner labels in response to both new regulations and changing preferences among American consumers.
According to the company, currently more than 90% of its portfolio in the United States is already free of synthetic colorings. Products such as Nesquik Banana Strawberry flavored milk still contain the Red 3 coloring, one of the most questioned.
Nestlé stated that it has been gradually removing artificial colorings over the past decade and that this step represents an evolution aligned with consumers' nutritional needs. "Serving and delighting people is at the center of everything we do," said Nestlé USA CEO, Marty Thompson.
This announcement positions Nestlé alongside other major companies in the sector that have made similar commitments. Conagra Brands, for example, will eliminate artificial colorings from its frozen products in the United States by the end of this year and will stop selling products with these additives in K-12 schools (from kindergarten through the end of high school) between 2026 and 2027.
General Mills also announced that it will remove artificial colorings from all its retail products in the United States by the summer of 2026, including cereals and foods served in schools.
Meanwhile, Kraft Heinz will stop launching new products with synthetic colorings and has committed to eliminating them completely from its existing products by the end of 2027.
