Target announced on February 27 that it will only sell breakfast cereals made without "certified" synthetic food colors, reports the Guardian.

The big-box U.S. retailer is introducing the restriction, which will come into effect by May 31 across its nearly 2,000 stores, as a result of increased pressure on the food industry from the Trump administration and the “Make America healthy again” (Maha) movement to stop using such ingredients, which they see as dangerous.

“We know consumers are increasingly prioritizing healthier lifestyles, and we’re moving quickly to evolve our offerings to meet their needs,” Cara Sylvester, Target’s executive vice-president and chief merchandising officer, said in a news release.

Food industry reform advocates have for decades pushed for corporations to stop using dyes such as red 40 and yellow 5, which some studies have shown could exacerbate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among children.

The Target announcement does not stipulate what constitutes a “certified synthetic color.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not required the action.

U.S. health and human services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. and the FDA faced backlash after revising their request for food companies to rapidly remove such food dyes from their products by the end of this year. They instead announced new guidelines in February, stating that it would allow food makers to claim “no artificial colors” as long as the dyes are not petroleum-based.

Meanwhile, at least 25 states are considering legislation to restrict synthetic dyes from food. In March 2025, West Virginia became the first state to ban such ingredients. Food giants General Mills and Kraft Heinz plan to remove artificial colors from their products for the U.S. market by next year.

While the European Union (EU) has banned several food additives due to potential health risks, some of these ingredients remain approved for use in the United States by the FDA.