General Mills has announced plans to remove certified colors, also known as FD&C (Food, Drug, & Cosmetic) colors, from all its U.S. cereals and all foods served in K-12 schools by summer 2026. Additionally, the company will work to remove certified colors from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027.

This change impacts only a small portion of General Mills’ K-12 school portfolio, as nearly all its school offerings today are made without certified colors. Similarly, 85% of General Mills’ full U.S. retail portfolio is currently made without 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,” says Jeff Harmening, chairman and CEO, General Mills. “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 all our foods served in K-12 schools by next summer. We’re committed to continuing to make food that tastes great and is accessible to all."

For decades, General Mills has proven its reformulation capabilities and delivered products that delight consumers and meet a changing landscape. General Mills is the leading provider of whole grains to Americans with other notable efforts including industry-leading sugar-reduction work across General Mills’ K-12 school portfolio, doubling vitamin D in General Mills’ cereals in 2023 to help close nutritional gaps, and reducing sodium by 20 percent across key product categories since 2019.

General Mills is on the current Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Top 50” rankings.