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Home > November 23, 2026 > Changing Colors
Composite image of a bowl of bright ring cereal labeled Old beside a paler bowl labeled New

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times/Redux (cereal bowls); Shutterstock.com (all other images)

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Changing Colors

Why are some of your favorite cereals getting a new look?

November 23, 2026
By Ellen Song

Many popular breakfast cereals are known for their eye-catching colors. For years, that rainbow of colors has been created mainly with synthetic dyes. These human-made chemicals have names like Red 40, Blue 1, and Yellow 5. 

But the look of some best-selling breakfast treats is slowly changing. General Mills is the biggest cereal producer in the U.S. In August, the company announced that it had removed artificial dyes from Lucky Charms, Trix, and all its other cereals. And the company that makes Kellogg’s Froot Loops and Apple Jacks said it would switch to using only natural colors in its cereals by the end of this year. 

These changes are part of a growing trend to replace synthetic food dyes with ingredients made from fruits, vegetables, and other natural sources.

Updating the Rainbow 

The first synthetic food dyes were developed in the 1850s. The goal was to make colorful products that grabbed the attention of shoppers. Over time, artificial dyes were used to add color to everything from candy and yogurt to crackers and cough syrup. Today they can be found in thousands of foods.

“The dyes make the foods more attractive and make you want to eat more of them,” says Lindsey Smith Taillie, a scientist who studies kids’ health. 

But in 2025, the U.S. government began urging food companies to remove human-made chemicals from their products, especially those for kids. The companies are trying to find ways to switch to dyes made from natural sources—without changing the taste. 

Taillie says the switch to natural ingredients is a positive step. But like many health experts, she’s more concerned with the amount of sugar in many cereals.

“If I could wave a magic wand,” Taillie says, “I’d remove a lot of the sugar first.”

Color Creation

Here are some of the natural ingredients that food companies are using to add color to their products. 

 

Orange: Carrot juice

Yellow: Turmeric, a spice

Pink/purple: Red cabbage

Red: Beet juice

Blue/green: Spirulina, a type of algae

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