Protestors Target Kellogg’s Over Cereal Dyes
- by Natasha Hobley
- Published
- Environment
It has been nearly a decade since the cereal brand giant Kellogg’s announced that it would remove artificial colors and ingredients from its cereals and other food products by the year 2018. Last month, more than a thousand people1 gathered outside of Kellogg’s headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan to deliver petitions with over 400,000 signatures and ask that the food giant follow up on their commitment and make those changes.2
Kellogg’s Cereal Ingredients Differ in Other Countries
Kellogg’s has already removed artificial colors and ingredients from its products in other counties. In Canada, for example, Froot Loops are colored with natural fruit juice concentrates. But in the United States, the cereal still contains artificial colors and the controversial chemical preservative BHT which is banned in the European Union, as well as Canada, Australia, China, and Brazil.2
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that food dyes are safe when used as intended and in accordance with regulations. But dozens of clinical trials and anecdotal experiences show otherwise. Most widely recognized is the link between artificial food dyes and adverse behavioral outcomes in children, particularly ADHD.2
California Passes Law to Ban Food Dyes in School Cafeterias
In September 2024, the state of California became the first to sign a bill prohibiting school cafeterias from serving foods that contain six artificial food dyes that are linked to health and behavioral problems. The bill is known as the California School Food Safety Act. The legislation was introduced three years after a state report linked the consumption of artificial foods to hyperactivity and neurobehavioral issues. Some research has also shown dyes to be carcinogenic.3
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) conducted a systematic review of gathered epidemiologic research on synthetic food dyes and neurobehavioral outcomes in children. Their review concluded:
Current evidence from studies in humans, largely from controlled exposure studies in children, supports a relationship between food dye exposure and adverse behavioral outcomes in children, both with and without pre-existing behavioral disorders.4
The California law will go into effect on Dec. 31, 2027 to allow manufacturers time to reformulate recipes without artificial dyes.
In accordance with these studies, a 2021 study from the Children’s Hospital Association demonstrated that there has been a 40 percent increase in children being diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorders such as anxiety and ADHD compared to the previous decade.5
Consumer advocacy groups argue that the FDA’s approval of artificial dyes is based on decades-old research and doesn’t take into consideration the fact that children are more vulnerable to their harmful effects. Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said of the California legislation:
What made this type of law necessary is that FDA hasn’t been able or willing to do anything about these issues for several decades. There’s so much more data and information on the health effects now than there’s ever been.6
Former FDA Expert Cites Froot Loops as Most Harmful Cereal
Former food safety expert for the FDA Dr. Darin Detwiler stated that Kellogg’s Froot Loops is the worst cereal sold by the company, citing that the colorful rings are “heavily processed and contain high levels of added sugars, artificial dyes and preservatives which are linked to health concerns.”1 Just one cup of Froot Loops contains nearly half the recommended amount of daily sugar intake for children, but according to Detwiler, the sugar is probably the least problematic when compared to the other ingredients.
In an e-mail to the New York Post, a Kellogg’s representative wrote:
The quality and safety of our foods is our top priority. Our products—and the ingredients we use to make them—are compliant with all applicable relevant laws and regulations, and we remain committed to transparently labeling our ingredients so consumers can easily make choices about the food they purchase.1
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