Protesters insist Kellogg removes artificial colors from cereals like Froot Loops: reports

Dozens of protesters reportedly gathered outside WK Kellogg Co.’s headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, on Tuesday, demanding the company remove artificial colors from grains sold in the United States.

As the maker of some of America’s most popular cereals — like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks — Kellogg announced nearly a decade ago that it would remove artificial colors and ingredients from its products by 2018.

In Canada, however, Kellogg uses concentrated carrot juice, watermelon juice, Huito juice and blueberry juice to color Froot Loops, according to the company’s Canadian website.

But in the U.S., Kellogg continues to use artificial colors and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which is a lab-made chemical added to foods as a preservative, according to WebMD. Some people even use BHT as a medication because it can be used to treat acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and genital herpes, notes WebMD.

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A CBS station in Lansing reported that protesters delivered petitions with over 420,000 signatures from people asking WK ​​Kellogg to remove BHT and artificial colors from their cereal.

Activists at the demonstration claim there is evidence that artificial dyes could contribute to behavioral problems in children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it has studied the effects of artificial additives on children’s behavior, but believes that consuming these additives has no negative effects in most children.

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Michigan protesters insisted Tuesday that WK Kellogg eliminate artificial colors from all of its breakfast cereals. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

WK Kellogg told FOX Business that its food is safe and ingredients meet federal regulations.

“Today, more than 85% of our cereal sales contain no colors from artificial sources,” Kellogg said in a statement. “In fact, across our largest brands, we continue to develop new cereals that contain no colors from artificial sources, providing our consumers with a wide variety of nutritious foods.”

The company said its goal to remove all colors from artificial sources in its foods around the world was based on its recognition at the time that a majority of its consumers were seeking foods with natural ingredients and would welcome the change.

However, there are never any doubts about the safety or quality of the food, the company said.

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“The company has used only colors that are considered safe and permitted under relevant laws and regulations,” said WK Kellogg. “The company then gathered region-specific consumer insights to support the development of new recipes. “Like other food companies with similar ambitions, we found that consumer preferences for artificially sourced colors in foods vary greatly across markets.” For example, our cereal recipes that use natural color alternatives are better received in the Canadian market than in the USA.”

In response to the petition, WK Kellogg said the company respects everyone’s right to express their opinion, adding that it will review the petition received Tuesday and share the concerns with the FDA.