Kraft Heinz announced that it would be removing artificial food dyes from its products within the next two years.
The company said 10% of its products currently contain FD&C color additives, which are approved for use in food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including brands such as Crystal Light, Jell-O and Kool Aid.
Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement that the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft macaroni and cheese in 2016 and that its Heinz tomato ketchup has never had artificial dyes.
It comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan in April to start phasing out eight synthetic food dyes in the American food supply.
Kennedy said the agencies had reached an “understanding” with major food companies to voluntarily remove artificial food dyes from their products.
Shortly after Kennedy’s announcement, PepsiCo’s CEO said on an earnings call that the company had already begun phasing out artificial colors. In-N-Out also announced in May it was removing artificial food dyes from menu items.
Other companies, like Kellogg’s, have previously stated their products are safe for consumption and they are following federal standards set by the FDA.
Some studies have linked dyes to behavioral changes in children, as well as to cancer in animals, suggesting this could extend to humans. Some nutritionists and dietitians say that it’s best to avoid artificial food dyes, while others say more research needs to be done and the potential negative effects are still unclear.