Kennedy food dye battle hits a roadblock: M&M’s

US health secretary has used peer pressure to persuade food makers to nix synthetic dyes. The candy industry is holding out, arguing consumers like bright sweets, write Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Julie Creswell from Washington and New York

- Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Julie Creswell

Less than three months after he declared war on synthetic food dyes, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has already secured the cooperation of the makers of some of America’s most colourful culinary products. If they fulfil their promises, Jell-O snacks, Kool-Aid beverages, and Lucky Charms cereals, among a host of other foods, will be rid of synthetic dyes by the end of 2027.

But the candy industry and its most colour-ful chocolate treat, M&M's, are a big obstacle standing between Mr Kennedy and the ability to claim total victory.

Other than Froot Loops cereal, perhaps no food carries as much symbolism as M&M's for Mr Kennedy and the movement he calls “Make America Healthy Again.” Upon taking the reins at the Department of Health and Human Services, he made synthetic dyes the first target in his plan to rid the nation of ultra-processed foods.

When Mr Kennedy announced in April that he had an “understanding” with food makers to remove petroleum-based dyes by the end of 2026, citing research showing they were linked to behavioural problems in children, critics scoffed at his voluntary approach. Yet his peer-pressure campaign appears to have produced some results. Last month, Nestle and ConAgra joined Kraft Heinz, General Mills and PepsiCo in signing on to the secretary's plan.

Candy manufacturers, which lean on artificial colourings for the bright treats they market to children, are still holding out.

“T think RFK and his team are learning the limits of their power to persuade,” said Scott Faber, an attorney with the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organisation.

As much as 19% of processed foods include synthetic dyes, and confectionary companies had the most products containing them, according to a study published in late June in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.