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General Mills ditches artificial dye from Lucky Charms, Trix

By
FOX Local
Food and Drink
Published August 27, 2026 5:13 PM EDT
Published August 27, 2026 5:13 PM EDT
article

FILE-Boxes of General Mills owned Lucky Charms cereal are stacked at a Costco Wholesale store on April 4, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • General Mills is no longer using artificial dyes in its cereal brands and its remaining products with artificial dyes are moving to natural dyes in 2027.
    • The company’s announcement comes as other major organizations like Kellog and Target will no longer use artificial dyes.
    • General Mills manufactures various cereals brands, like Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Trix.

General Mills removed artificial colors from all its cereals, including Lucky Charms and Trix. 

The organization has transitioned to fruit- and vegetable-based dyes and colors inspired by spices like turmeric and paprika to give its cereals bright colors.

Company officials told The Associated Press that 90% of its U.S. retail goods are now free of artificial dyes. Products that still have artificial colors, including some Betty Crocker cake mixes and Fruit Roll-Ups, will move to natural dyes by the end of 2027. 

RELATED: Kellogg to remove artificial dyes from cereals

General Mills is the second major cereal manufacturer to announce a change to natural dyes. WK Kellogg, which makes Froot Loops and Apple Jacks, said in early August that it’s removing artificial colors from all its U.S. cereals by the end of this year. 

Earlier this year, Target announced it would halt selling cereals with artificial colors by the end of May. Walmart also said it will remove artificial colors from its store brands by January 2027.

General Mills statement on removing artificial dyes

What they're saying:

Bethany Quam, General Mills’ president of cereal, released a statement on removing the artificial dyes, which was obtained by The Associated Press that read: "This achievement reflects how we are evolving with consumer needs while continuing to offer food that tastes great, delivers quality and provides value."

General Mills collection of cereal products includes Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, and Wheaties. 

In 2025, General Mills signed an agreement with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stating that it would remove synthetic dyes from all its products by the end of 2027.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, which obtained a statement from General Mills and previous FOX Local reporting. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.


 

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