“Consumers have different food preferences,” said General Mills, based in Golden Valley at the time, “and we heard many Trix fans that they missed the bright and vibrant colors and the nostalgic taste of classic Trix cereals.”
On Tuesday, the best public health officials in the country indicated that these fans could again be disappointed by a plan to prohibit the artificial food coloring.
“For 50 years, we have been heading one of the largest uncontrolled scientific experiences in the world on the children of our country without their consent,” said FDA commissioner Marty Makary at a press conference. “And today, we are deleting these petroleum chemicals from their food supply.”
The secretary of health and social services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said that “the industry has voluntarily agreed” to eliminate artificial dyes. The FDA has not yet established a calendar for this elimination, but food companies have not rejected the characterization of Kennedy.
“As a leader in food, we strongly support a national standard on an industry level, and we are committed to continuing the conversation with the administration,” said General Mills in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the majority of its products are free from artificial coloring.
