Kraft Heinz announced June 17 that it would remove all chemical dyes from its products by the end of 2027.

According to the New York Times, the food company best known for its ketchup and boxed Mac & Cheese, said the shift would affect only about 10% of its portfolio by sales, including brands like Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Crystal Light and other beverages and desserts that contain dyes like Red No. 40 and Blue No. 1.

In April, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said he had reached “an understanding” with food manufacturers to remove commonly used artificial food dyes from their products by 2026. The Times said Kraft Heinz is the first major food company to officially announce plans to do so. 

Some studies have linked dyes to behavioral changes in children as well as to cancer in animals, suggesting this could extend to humans.

Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement that the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft macaroni and cheese in 2016, and that its Heinz tomato ketchup has never had artificial dyes, according to ABC News.

"As a food company with a 150+ year heritage, we are continuously evolving our recipes, products, and portfolio to deliver superiority to consumers and customers," Navio's statement said. "The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we've been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio. … Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don't take lightly."