Lays, Tostitos to stop using artificial dyes this year to meet RFK Jr.'s phase-out [View all]
Source: USA Today
April 28, 2025, 10:44 p.m. ET
Popular snack brands like Lays and Tostitos will stop using artificial colors by the end of the year, a move to accommodate Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new phase-out of petroleum-based synthetic dyes.
At an April 24 earnings call, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the transition is already underway and that more of the company's brands will follow suit, with more than 60 percent of its business already lacking artificial color as of this month.
Laguarta also said PepsiCo with (sic) lead an anticipated consumer demand for more natural ingredients as it has with sodium and sugar reduction, and better fats. "We obviously stand by the science and our products are very safe and there's nothing to worry about this," Laguarta told investors. "Ideally, we can do this in a very pragmatic, orchestrated way as an industry and not create unnecessary panic or chaos. But, we'll lead that transition."
In the next couple of years, PepsiCo's entire portfolio, which includes Doritos and Cheetos, will have migrated into natural colors or the company will at least provide the consumers with natural color options, he added. "And obviously every consumer will have the opportunity to choose what they prefer," he said. "That's the journey we're undergoing."
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2025/04/28/lays-tostitos-pepsico-artificial-dyes/83335883007/
The reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows will be fairly easy (e.g., cochineal/carmine, annatto, turmeric). The blues will be trickier (probably anthocyanin-based - e.g., from a number of berries, specialty grains, and some root crops). The other colors are usually combos (although there are probably more natural greens).
(from here - https://www.californianaturalcolor.com/why-natural-colors/anthocyanins/)
Good companion article - How bugs and beet juice could play roles in the race to replace artificial dyes in food
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