Certified colors

Removing certified colors from our products

General Mills is removing certified colors, also known as synthetic color additives, from our portfolio as a part of our commitment to evolve and listen what people are interested in and.

We’ve been making food that people love for nearly 160 years, and we’ve adapted along the way as needs and preferences have changed.

Our brands and the trust we earn

We embrace the responsibility that comes with being a leader.

We’re proud of our brands and our food safety standards, and we’re equally proud of the trust consumers place in us, which is well-founded. 

For decades we’ve been making food with the highest food standards of safety and quality and will continue to do just that. 

Our approach to certified colors

We’re on track to remove certified colors from our U.S. portfolio.

Today, about 85% of our products are already made without them. We’ll remove certified colors from all our U.S. cereals by summer 2026 and from our full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027.

This effort involves reformulating products while maintaining taste, quality and consistency.

As of March 2026, all our K-12 school foods are now made without certified colors, successfully achieving this milestone ahead of our summer 2026 commitment.

Our commitments and timeline

Here’s how we’re progressing across our U.S. food portfolio:

Leading in schools

The March 2026 achievement of our K-12 school foods made without certified colors underscores General Mills’ leadership as the No. 1 provider of nutritious breakfast choices to students across the country.

General Mills works closely with states and school districts to offer nutritional and regulation-ready products, including ready-to-eat cereals, the leading source of whole grains in school breakfast, and a variety of lower sugar and sodium meal solutions.

This achievement of all K-12 school foods now made without certified colors underscores General Mills’ role as a leader in K-12 foodservice, its dedication to product innovation and its continued commitment to making food with the highest standards of safety and quality.

Brands already made without certified colors

Brands like Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Cascadian Farm, Annie’s, Nature Valley, LÄRABAR and more are already made without certified colors.

What our CEO says about this

“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. 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 K-12 foods. We’re committed to continuing to make food that tastes great and is accessible to all.”

— Jeff Harmening, Chairman and CEO, General Mills.