Food-manufacturing giant General Mills has announced that all of its U.S. cereal offerings are now made without "certified colors."

The company said it intends to remove "certified colors," which it notes are "also known as synthetic color additives," from all of its U.S. products by the end of next year.

"With all U.S. cereals – including Lucky Charms and Trix – now free from certified colors, 90% of General Mills' U.S. retail portfolio has completed the transition," the company said in a statement Wednesday.

"The company remains on track to remove certified colors from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027, including fruit snacks and baking products," the announcement noted.

The move comes amid intensifying regulatory and political pressure on synthetic dyes in the United States. In April 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration announced an initiative to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation's food supply, and several states – including California and West Virginia – have passed laws restricting certain artificial food dyes. Industry-wide reformulation of this scale can take time because companies must find plant-based and mineral alternatives, such as those derived from spirulina, turmeric, beets and vegetables, that hold up in processing and shelf storage while matching the bright colors consumers expect.

General Mills previously attempted to remove artificial colors from Trix, only to later reverse course and bring back an option featuring the popular vibrant colors.

"As part of a commitment to remove artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources from all of its cereals by the end of 2017, General Mills is releasing its first wave of new cereal recipes, which includes Trix, Reese's Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Chocolate Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios and Fruity Cheerios. The family favorites are now available in the cereal aisle at local retailers nationwide and highlight no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources on the front of each box," a 2016 press release noted.

A 2017 General Mills post on X, formerly Twitter, then declared: "Have you heard?! 'Classic Trix' colors are coming back to brighten up your breakfast bowl!" (X post)

"Our Trix fans have been calling us, e-mailing us and reaching out to us on social media asking if we would consider bringing back the original formulation of Trix cereal with its vibrant colors," then-General Mills spokesperson Mike Siemienas noted, according to a 2017 Food Business News report. "As a result, we are launching 'Classic Trix' to fill these consumer requests. We will continue to offer our current formulation of Trix with no artificial flavors and no colors from artificial sources, which has its own fan base, along with Classic Trix. So both products will be available for consumers. Consumers have differing food preferences, and we heard from many Trix fans that they missed the bright vibrant colors and the nostalgic taste of the classic Trix cereal."

Boxes of Trix currently listed for sale on the Walmart and Amazon websites include "Natural and Artificial Flavor" on their ingredients lists.

General Mills is the latest U.S. food giant pulling artificial dyes from its products. The 2017 Trix reversal illustrates the consumer-demand challenge the company now faces as it commits to the change permanently, though this time the shift is occurring alongside government pressure rather than purely as a voluntary marketing decision. Betty Crocker and Pillsbury are among the popular food brands within the company's substantial portfolio. What remains to be seen is whether the company maintains the reformulation through its full 2027 deadline – and how competitors' parallel dye-removal efforts affect consumer acceptance of the new-look products.

Source: Fox Business