General Mills plans to remove certified colors from all its U.S. cereals and all kindergarten-12th grade school foods by summer 2026. In addition, the company will work to remove certified colors from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027.
This change impacts a small portion of General Mills’ K-12 school portfolio, as nearly all these offerings are made without certified colors. Similarly, 85 percent of General Mills’ full U.S. retail portfolio doesn’t include certified colors.
“Across the long arc of our history, General Mills has moved quickly to meet evolving consumer needs, and reformulating our product portfolio to remove certified colors is yet another example,” said Jeff Harmening, chairman and CEO.
“Today, the vast majority of our foods are made without certified colors, and we’re working to ensure that will soon apply to our full portfolio. Knowing the trust families place in us, we are leading the way on removing certified colors in cereals and K-12 foods by next summer. We’re committed to continuing to make food that tastes great and is accessible to all.”
General Mills’ other efforts include industry-leading sugar-reduction work across its K-12 school portfolio, doubling vitamin D in its cereals in 2023 to help close nutritional gaps and reducing sodium by 20 percent across key product categories since 2019.
This move follows other companies that have taken similar actions, such as Kraft Heinz.
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