General Mills to remove artificial flavors, colors from artificial sources

MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills Cereals announced Monday that it will remove artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources in all of its cereals. 

 

The latest push comes after a survey conducted on behalf of the company indicated that 49% of households prefer to avoid artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources. 

 

“At General Mills Cereals, we have been upgrading the nutrition and ingredients in our cereals for years to meet people's needs and desires,” Jim Murphy, president of the General Mills cereal division, said. “We’ve continued to listen to consumers who want to see more recognizable and familiar ingredients on the labels and challenged ourselves to remove barriers that prevent adults and children from enjoying our cereals.”

 

Although the change will apply to more than 90% of the company’s portfolio by the end of 2016, more than 60% of the company’s cereals, including Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Original Cheerios, already reflect this move. 

 

Trix and Reese’s Puffs will be some of the first products to change, hitting store shelves this winter. Trix will use fruit and vegetable juices, and spice extracts such as turmeric and annatto, in order to produce red, yellow, orange and purple colors.  

 

But some cereals will be more challenging to adjust.

 

“We have a lot of hard work ahead of us and we know some products will present challenges as we strive to uphold the taste, quality and fun in every spoonful of cereal,” Kate Gallager, General Mills cereal developer, said. “Cereals that contain marshmallows, like Lucky Charms, may take longer, but we are committed to finding a way to keep the magically delicious taste as we work to take out the artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources.”