The Campbell’s Company is the latest food company to pledge to end the use of artificial food dyes in its products, aligning with the wishes of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.), known for his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda.

According to Campbell’s, the company already uses colors derived from natural sources in the majority of its portfolio, but by the second half of the 2026 fiscal year (i.e., March–August), the company will no longer produce any of its food or beverages with synthetic colorants. The transition will affect products like Lance crackers, V8 Splash, Archway and Stella D’oro cookie brands, and regional snack brands Jay’s, O-Ke-Doke, and Tom’s.

The company says that its decision reflects consumer preferences.

In April 2025, HHS and the U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) announced their intent to phase out the use of synthetic, petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply. Their plan relies largely on voluntary industry action rather than enforceable rulemaking, with the exception of some tangible actions, such as work to authorize naturally derived colorants for food use and revoking authorizations for select synthetic dyes.

Secretary Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D. have acknowledged that their MAHA promises to eliminate natural food colorants in U.S. foods hinges on industry compliance, with Dr. Makary saying “…let’s start [getting artificial dyes out of foods] in a friendly way, and see if we can do this without any statutory or regulatory changes.”

Although HHS and FDA have made statements about their stance on synthetic food dyes, federal attention to these and other additives piggybacks on a wave of state legislation, which began with the passage of the California Food Safety Act in October 2023, and was propelled by changing consumer preferences and a push from consumer protection groups.

Since HHS and FDA’s announcement in April, companies like Conagra Brands, Nestlé USA, General Mills, and The Kraft Heinz Company—and now, Campbell’s—have pledged to phase out their use of synthetic food dyes.