Young cowpokes and others sidling up to the breakfast bar won't be blinded by the glare from their cereal bowls anymore. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has twisted Kellogg's arms and wrestled an agreement that the company will permanently remove toxic dyes from its cereals.
“Following months of investigating and negotiating, I’m proud to officially say Kellogg’s will stop putting these unhealthy ingredients in its cereals,” said Paxton in a news release. “The signed [agreement] demonstrates that Kellogg’s is committed to keeping this pledge, and I commend the company for doing the right thing. I encourage other food manufacturers to sign similar agreements to demonstrate their commitment to helping Americans live healthier lives.”
“Kellogg’s cereals have played an important role in US consumers’ lives for more than a century, and we look forward to continuing that tradition,” the company wrote.
It's not clear if the agreement affects only Texas. Generally, when one state — typically California — regulates a consumer product, manufacturers apply the modification nationwide.
"A significant milestone"
The parties have signed an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (“AVC”), which certifies that the company is legally agreeing to remove artificial food colorings from its cereals by the end of 2027. This historic legal agreement with a major food company represents a significant milestone in the movement to remove toxic dyes from foods and protect the health of all Americans, Paxton said.
While other companies have verbally committed to removing food dyes, Kellogg’s is the first to officially sign a legally binding agreement confirming that it will remove food colorings.
Paxton previously issued a Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) to Kellogg’s in February of this year and formally announced the investigation in April. The investigation was launched after Kellogg’s claimed it would remove petroleum-based food colorings in the United States, but did not do so. Instead, it removed these toxic ingredients in Canada and Europe while continuing to put different types of blue, red, and yellow dyes in American cereals.