Nestlé USA and Conagra announce the removal of FD&C colors from their product portfolios

The list of companies moving forward with changes to their ingredients in the food and beverage industry is growing. Nestlé USA announced that by mid-2026, the company will be fully eliminating Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors from their US food and beverage product portfolio.¹ The company explained in a press release that this effort has been ongoing for the last decade and they were working to identify alternatives to synthetic colors in recipes where they were still being used.

“Consumers enjoy a wide variety of foods and beverages as part of their daily diet. They want choice and value shaped by a dynamic – and highly personal – combination of nutrition, quality, price and convenience,” said Marty Thompson, CEO of Nestlé USA.¹ “Whether it’s an easy and nutritious family meal, an occasional snack, or a satisfying cup of coffee, we are always looking for different ways to offer great tasting, compelling choices for our consumers. As their diverse dietary preferences and nutritional needs evolve, we evolve with them.”

Mr. Thompson added,¹ “Serving and delighting people is at the heart of everything we do and every decision that we make. We have been doing so for over 100 years, and that longevity is built on an unwavering commitment to understanding our consumers, adapting to their evolving expectations, and meeting their immediate needs, but with a future-focused approach. Nestlé USA remains committed to providing consumers with affordable, high-quality food and beverages.”

Another company working on updating their portfolio ingredients is Conagra Brands, Inc. who announced in their press release2 that they will have completed removing FD&C colors from their US frozen product portfolio by the end of 2025.

“Conagra Brands is known for innovating delicious, on-trend foods, and our transition away from FD&C colors is just one aspect of our broader strategy to modernize our portfolio to align with consumer preferences,” said Tom McGough, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Conagra Brands.² “Our leading portfolio of frozen brands, including Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's and more, will be 100% free from FD&C colors by the end of 2025.”

Conagra will be working on other updates to their US retail portfolio such as no longer offering the sale of products containing FD&C colors to K-12 schools beginning for the 2026-2027 school year.² Additionally, Conagra is looking by the end of 2027 to discontinue using synthetic colors in the manufacturing of products in their US retail portfolio.

Earlier this month, Kraft Heinz and General Mills also announced that they were listening to consumer trends and removing FD&C colors from their product portfolios.

References

1. Nestlé USA to eliminate use of FD&C colors by mid-2026 https://www.nestleusa.com/media/pressreleases/eliminate-use-fdc-colors (accessed Jun 27, 2025).
2. Conagra Brands to Achieve Multi-Year Modernization Milestone in Frozen Portfolio by End of 2025 https://www.conagrabrands.com/news-room/news-conagra-brands-to-achieve-multi-year-modernization-milestone-in-frozen-portfolio-by-end-of-2025-prn-122927 (accessed Jun 27, 2025).
3. Colli, M. Kraft Heinz and General Mills to remove FD&C colors from product portfolios https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/kraft-heinz-and-general-mills-to-remove-fd-c-colors-from-product-portfolios (accessed Jun 27, 2025).