Protesters demand Kellogg's remove artificial colors from Fruit Loops and other cereals

Dozens of people rallied outside the Michigan headquarters of W.K. Kellogg Co. on Tuesday, demanding that the company remove artificial colors from it. Breakfast cereal In the United States

Kellogg, maker of Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks, announced About a decade ago That it will remove artificial colors and ingredients from its products by 2018.

The company did it other countries. In Canada, for example, Fruit Loops are colored with concentrated carrot juice, watermelon juice, and blueberry juice. But in the US, cereal still contains artificial colors and BHT, a chemical preservative.

On Tuesday, activists said they were delivering a petition with more than 400,000 signatures asking W.K. Kellogg to remove artificial colors and BHT from their cereal. Protesters say there is evidence that artificial colors can contribute to behavioral problems in children.

“I'm here for the mothers who struggle to feed their children healthy foods without added chemicals,” said Vani Hari, a food activist who previously pushed for the removal of artificial colors from Kraft Heinz's macaroni and cheese.

The US Food and Drug Administration says it has reviewed and evaluated the effects of color additives on children's behavior but believes most children experience no adverse effects when consumed.

Battle Creek, Michigan-based W. K. Kellogg Became a separate company last year when it had a snack division cut off to form Kellanova. Kellanova maintained the company's international cereal business; It now manufactures Fruit Loops with natural dyes for markets such as Australia and the UK.

WK Kellogg said Tuesday that its food is safe and all its ingredients comply with federal regulations.

“Today, more than 85% of our cereal sales have no color from artificial sources,” the company said in a statement. “We continually innovate new cereals that do not contain colors from artificial sources across our large brands, offering our consumers a wider choice of nutritious foods.”

Kellogg's said it announced plans to remove artificial colors and ingredients about a decade ago because it believed consumers were looking for foods with natural ingredients and would welcome the change. But the company said it found that consumer preferences varied widely across markets.

“For example, our cereal recipes that use natural color options are better received in the Canadian market than in the US,” the company said.

Still, Kellogg may have to reconsider. Last month, California's Democratic governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill banning six food colors from food served in the state's public schools, making it the first US state to take such action.

California law now bans four dyes used in Fruit Loops: Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6 and Blue Dye No. 1.