For many of us, New Year's is the time to envision what our best selves might look like. These resolutions often revolve around similar themes of being more active and eating healthier.

As Americans become increasingly interested in personal health and diet, more people are aware that there are unsafe and poorly tested chemicals in everyday foods and beverages. Consumers are demanding food and beverages that are free from harmful additives, including synthetic food dyes.  

Companies break their clean label commitments 

While Americans set healthy eating goals, food companies have responded with their own resolutions for what their products will and won’t contain.  In the past decade, dozens of large food manufacturers, restaurant chains, and retailers have pledged to remove ingredients like artificial colors and flavors from their products (these promises are known by some as clean label commitments). Many of these companies have gone back on or have not yet met their promises. In some cases, the corporations have removed color additives in other countries but blame American consumers for the decision to break their clean labels commitments here in the United States.  

But consumer preferences may not be the whole story: a more likely motivation for reformulating products in the European Union is better regulations. Foods containing Yellow 5 and 6 and Red 40 must contain a warning label in the EU, a strong incentive for companies to avoid these chemicals. Besides, there is a market for synthetic dye-free foods in the US: in 2018, an estimated 28 percent of U.S. adults said they limit foods with artificial coloring, and 48 percent believe that artificial coloring poses some health risk for the average person over their lifetime. 

Food dyes are pervasive in foods in the US 

Despite clear evidence of their risks, food dyes are still federally permitted and widely used in foods in the United States. FDA affirms their safety, even though the FDA itself concluded that Red 3 causes cancer in animals back in 1990 (CSPI filed a petition for the FDA to ban Red 3 in 2022, and a ban may finally be forthcoming). Further, a report by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found that consumption of synthetic food dyes can cause hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in some children. That’s why California passed the School Food Safety Act, a first-in-the-nation ban on synthetic dyes in foods served or sold in public schools. Other states may soon follow California’s lead.  

While state legislation is important to protect youth from dyes in school foods in the face of FDA inaction, Americans want and deserve a safer overall food supply.  

Companies to watch out for

In 2025, CSPI is calling on these companies to uphold their clean label promises and resolve to put consumer health over profit:  

Kellogg’s: In 2015, Kellogg’s pledged to remove all artificial colors and flavors from its cereal by 2018. Notably, artificial colors are defined in federal regulations as any additive used to impart color to food, which includes not only synthetic dyes but all other color additives, including titanium dioxide, a color additive banned in the EU. Yet in 2024, two of the company’s self-described iconic brands–Froot Loops and Apple Jacks–contain Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6.  

Kellogg’s has blamed consumers for the company’s decision to break its Clean Labels Promises, citing better reception to naturally colored cereals in the Canadian market than in the United States. But Americans want dyes out of their food, too: In October, hundreds of people protested outside of WK Kellogg Co’s Michigan headquarters, demanding that Kellogg’s remove artificial dyes from their cereals and make good on their promise.

Mars: In 2016, Mars pledged to remove artificial colors from its entire food portfolio within 5 years. Mars failed to meet this goal, and in 2021, they announced that only their dinnertime foods would omit synthetic colors. Snacks and candy, which often appeal to children, remained dyed.

Mars products include longtime favorites, like M&Ms and Skittles, which together contain five out of seven commonly used dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2; Plus, Skittles contain the whitener titanium dioxide). Artificial dyes can also be found in less obvious Mars products, like Combos cracker and pretzel snacks (four out of six flavors contain dyes).  

Like Kellogg's, Mars blamed consumers for breaking their Clean Labels promise, claiming American consumers are apparently unconcerned with dyes. But Mars has prioritized efforts to remove artificial colors in Europe while leaving the dyes in American candies and snacks. 

Walmart: In a 2017 Global Responsibility Report, Walmart outlined a commitment to improve ingredients in the U.S., including removing synthetic colors and artificial flavors “from products in which consumers don’t expect to find them.” Yet the company did not set itself a deadline to meet the commitment, and its food additive promise is no longer top-of-mind for the company: It has not mentioned synthetic dyes or artificial flavors in any of its Global Responsibility Reports since 2018.  

So, did Walmart go through with its commitment? Over seven years later, the answer is no.  

Walmart’s Great Value private brand sells numerous sauces, dips, and condiments containing artificial dyes, including caramel color, a dark-hued dye that CSPI recommends avoiding based on contamination with cancer-causing compounds. These products include Walmart's Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (Yellow 5, caramel color), Salsa Con Queso Cheese Dip (Yellow 5, Yellow 6), and Cocktail Sauce (Red 40, Yellow 6). Great Value dinnertime foods also contain dyes and whiteners, including Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (caramel color), Beef Ravioli (caramel color), and Original Macaroni & Cheese (titanium dioxide). While synthetic dyes might be obvious in technicolor sweets, most consumers wouldn’t expect to find artificial dyes in foods like these. 

How CSPI is fighting for safer food

While we make and try to keep our own New Year's resolutions in 2025, food companies like Kellogg’s, Mars, and Walmart need to make good on their commitments and not blame us for falling short. CSPI is calling on these companies to renew their commitments to removing synthetic dyes and other harmful additives from their foods in 2025.  

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