Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced that Kellogg’s will permanently remove artificial dyes from all of its cereals by the end of 2027.
This outcome follows a months-long investigation and negotiations between his office and the food giant, culminating in a legally binding Assurance of Voluntary Compliance.
Kellogg’s is the first major food manufacturer in the U.S. to legally commit to removing artificial food colorings from its cereals.
The removal of these dyes, often derived from petroleum, is to be fully implemented by the end of 2027.
The Texas attorney general’s office launched the investigation in February, following concerns that Kellogg’s continued to use artificial dyes—such as various blue, red, and yellow coloring agents—in American cereals even after removing them from products sold in Canada and Europe.
In April, Paxton publicly announced the investigation, citing consumer health concerns and allegations that the company had misrepresented its practices regarding ingredient safety in the United States.
Kellogg’s had previously made verbal commitments to eliminate petroleum-based colorings in the U.S. However, it had not implemented the changes domestically, unlike in other regions where regulatory standards regarding food dyes are often more stringent.
This move puts pressure on other food manufacturers to follow suit and formalize their own commitments to improve ingredient safety.
“The signed AVC demonstrates that Kellogg’s is committed to keeping this pledge, and I commend the company for doing the right thing,” stated Paxton. “I encourage other food manufacturers to sign similar agreements to demonstrate their commitment to helping Americans live healthier lives.”
A Kellogg’s spokesperson said the company was appreciative of the opportunity to work with the attorney general’s office.
“We see the growing focus on health as an opportunity to meet consumer needs in even more meaningful ways,” the Kellogg’s spokesperson told Texas Scorecard. “We have announced we are reformulating our cereals served in schools to not include FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year, we will not be launching any new products with FD&C colors beginning in January 2026, and by the end of 2027 we will completely remove FD&C colors from the small percentage of our foods that contain them today.”
