The Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has announced an investigation into WK Kellogg Co for potentially violating the state’s consumer protection laws with health claims tied to its cereals. Paxton alleges that Kellogg is marketing some of its cereals as “healthy” even though they contain artificial food colorings that have been linked to health issues such as obesity, autoimmune disease, and cancer.
Kellogg had previously announced in 2015 that it would remove artificial food dyes from its products in the U.S. by 2018, but the company has failed to do so, despite removing the colorings from products sold in Canada and Europe. Paxton stated that there will be accountability for any company, including Kellogg, that unlawfully misrepresents its food and contributes to a broken health system.
Last year, Jason Karp, a WK Kellogg shareholder and CEO of holding company HumanCo, called on the company to uphold its pledge to remove food dyes from cereals like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks. This led to protests outside Kellogg’s Michigan headquarters. Kellogg responded by stating that over 85% of its cereal products contain no artificial colors and that they are creating new cereals without them, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.
The investigation from the Texas Attorney General comes amidst the White House’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which aims to pressure food and beverage companies to improve the healthiness of their offerings. The push to remove artificial food colors has gained traction in recent years, with some states passing laws restricting certain dyes in food products.
In March, West Virginia signed a bill into law restricting seven artificial dyes from food products sold in the state. Additionally, the FDA announced a ban on Red No. 3, an artificial coloring linked to cancer in rats. While some food companies have pledged to remove artificial ingredients, challenges remain in finding natural colors that perform as well as their artificial counterparts and maintaining consumer interest in products with duller natural colors.
