Target Corp. announced on Feb. 27 that by the end of May, it would no longer sell certain cereals containing synthetic food coloring.
Target’s new ban reflects its focus on wellness, food and product innovation, something food industry advocates have been waiting decades for.
Retailers have minimal tolerance for synthetic food coloring and have voiced health concerns to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
With the “Make America Healthy Again,” the alleged links between food coloring and diseases like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and cancer led to these changes.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., founder and primary leader of the MAHA movement, voiced identical health concerns about severe diseases and food products in America. Political pressure over the years has been a contributor in advocacy to stop using synthetic food dyes.
For Target, this change aims to sell products that prioritizes the health-focused lifestyle consumers aim to supplement. Cara Sylvester, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Target, said in a press release that the company is “moving quickly to evolve our offerings to meet their needs.”
Target is known for offering an assortment of the same products, but there has been a recent shift in what is considered the new “it” products.
Target sales show that families are reaching for food products without artificial additives due to increased health concerns. These product consumptions have been regarded as a long-term shift.
Removing synthetic products likely won’t affect sales, considering how 85% of Target’s cereal sales are made up of cereals without synthetic dyes.
While the FDA has not required banning synthetic food dyes, it has initiated phasing out petroleum-based, synthetic dyes in the nation’s food supply.
