Texas AG Ken Paxton launches investigation into Kellogg’s over artificial food colorings

‘Our products – and the ingredients we use to make them – are compliant with all applicable relevant laws and regulations,’ Kellogg’s said in October 2024.

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• On Sunday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into Kellogg’s for its “healthy” products with artificial flavors and dyes.
• In 2015, Kellogg’s said it would eliminate all artificial ingredients by 2018, but consumers are still waiting for this change.
• In 2024, actress Eva Mendes led a protest against Kellogg, asking the company to fulfill its promise.

Texas’ attorney general opened an investigation over the weekend into Kellogg’s for potentially breaking the state’s consumer protection laws.

On Saturday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that his office had opened an investigation into WK Kellogg Co. for marketing its products as “healthy,” despite containing “petroleum-based artificial food colorings that have been linked to hyperactivity, obesity, autoimmune disease, endocrine-related health problems and cancer in those who consume them.” Paxton pointed to Kellogg’s cereals, such as Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies.

“A critical part of fighting for our children’s future is putting an end to companies’ deceptive practices that are aimed at misleading parents and families about the health of food products,” Paxton said in a news release. “Artificial food colorings have been shown to have disastrous impacts on health, and in no world should foods that include these dyes be advertised as ‘healthy.’ There will be accountability for any company, including Kellogg’s.”

In 2015, Kellogg’s joined a consortium of food manufacturers, including General Mills, that pledged to eliminate artificial ingredients, USA TODAY previously reported. Kellogg’s said it would remove these ingredients by 2018, but consumers remain waiting for the change.

Last year, American actress Eva Mendes made headlines for spearheading a protest against Kellogg’s, as the company had not met its promise. Dozens protested outside Kellogg’s headquarters in Michigan, and more than 400,000 people signed a petition asking the food manufacturer to change its operations, the Associated Press reported.

“Our products – and the ingredients we use to make them – are compliant with all applicable relevant laws and regulations,” Kellogg’s said in a statement to USA TODAY in October 2024. “We remain committed to transparently labeling our ingredients so consumers can easily make choices about the food they purchase.”

Kellogg’s did not immediately respond when contacted by USA TODAY on Monday and Tuesday.

What artificial ingredients are in Kellogg’s cereals?

Several Kellogg’s products include artificial ingredients. For example, Froot Loops contain Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6 and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), while Apple Jacks are made of Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40 and Blue 1.

Ingredients like Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1 are synthetic dyes used to give food, drugs and cosmetics color.

According to WebMD, BHT is a lab-made chemical that can be used as a food preservative and is considered safe in the amounts found in processed food. However, there is not enough research to determine how safe BHT is in medicinal doses or on the skin.

Do artificial ingredients cause irreversible damage?

In January, the Food and Drug Administration banned Red No. 3, an additive that gives food and drinks a bright, cherry-red color. Studies have shown that male lab rats exposed to high levels of Red No. 3 develop cancer, but humans are typically exposed to much lower levels of the additive.

In California, and the entire European Union, Red 40, which is used in several Kellogg’s products, is banned as some studies link the artificial food dye to ADHD in children. However, the FDA says that most children have no adverse effects to the additive.

“The reality is these have no nutritional or other benefits. They’re totally aesthetic,” Asa Bradman, a professor and chair of the University of California Merced’s public health department, previously told USA TODAY.

Contributing: Lori Grisham, Alyssa Goldberg and Hannah Yasharoff USA TODAY Network

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].