Nestlé USA on June 25 shared its timeline to fully eliminate Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) colors in its U.S. food and beverage portfolio by mid-2026. 

“Over the last decade, the company has been actively removing synthetic colors from its products and working to identify alternative solutions in recipes where they are still used. The work is scheduled to be completed within the next 12 months,” the company said in a statement.

Nestlé USA notes that over 90 percent of its current portfolio does not include synthetic colors.

The company also touched on how it has refined its recipes over the years, such as adding more low- and no-sugar choices and removing unfamiliar ingredients. “We also share information to help consumers make informed decisions when choosing what to eat or drink,” the company said.

String of Similar Announcements

General Mills on June 17 announced plans to remove certified colors from all its U.S. cereals and all K-12 school foods by summer 2026. Additionally, the company will work to remove certified colors from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027.

The General Mills announcement came on the same day that The Kraft Heinz Company announced it will not launch any new products in the U.S. with FD&C colors, effective immediately. 

Companies such as Tyson Foods and Mars have announced similar moves as the Trump Administration prioritizes phasing out synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply and scrutinizes food additives generally.

As reported by Food Safety Magazine, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a press conference in April announcing their intent to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply. The agencies described the action as a “major step forward” in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda, popularized by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and adopted by the Trump Administration.