Cereal maker General Mills said on Monday it will remove all artificial colors and flavors from its cereals, starting with its Trix and Reese’s Puffs. It the the latest move by a large food company to adapt to consumers’ changing preferences when it comes to what they ingest.
The move will affect about 40% of its cereals, the company said. But it will take a few years to implement. Already, some 60% of General Mills cereals are free of artificial flavors or colors. That should hit 75% by early next year with the changes in Trix and Puffs. Getting to 100%, though, may take until 2018, as the company said it will need to give its product team time to develop suitable replacement ingredients.
“In recent years, we’ve heard that artificial ingredients aren’t what you are looking for in your bowl,” General Mills said in a blog post.
The challenge for the company, for which cereals is its biggest business, is to keep the taste of the product, while also making minimal changes to its colors. With Trix, and all its bright colors, that might seem hard to do. But the company said cereals with marshmallows, like Lucky Charms and Count Chocula, will be the most difficult, and time-consuming to reformulate. Many of the artificial ingredients, in Trix and other cereals, will be replaced by spices, and fruit and vegetable juice concentrates.
QUIZ: Should You Eat This or That?
Which is better for you: Half cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet?Getty Images (4)Answer: A half cup of ice cream
If you eat what you’re craving, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and eat less. And scoop for scoop sorbet contains twice the sugar with none of the filling dairy protein and fat.Getty Images (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter?Getty Images; Tara Johnson for TIMEAnswer: Butter
Serving size for spray butters (even low-calorie ones) are around a 1/3 second spray. What on earth does that mean? You're better off using a small amount of real butter as opposed to guessing how much you're using of the mystery melange of up to 20 ingredients.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: A turkey burger or a sirloin burger?Getty Images (2)Answer: Sirloin burger
Restaurant turkey burgers are often made with dark meat and the skin, so they’re not necessarily better for you (and for the record, they aren't low-fat). You can get a sirloin burger that’s 95% lean meat and gives you 20 g of protein. Just be careful with the toppings.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Almonds or pretzels?Getty Images (2)Answer: Almonds
Almonds are high in protein, fiber and fat and will keep you feeling fuller longer. Give high-sodium pretzels about an hour and you'll feel hungry again thanks to the high-carb no-fat or protein content.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Special K or eggs?AP; Getty ImagesAnswer: Eggs
In the morning, you want a meal that will fill you up. Eggs offer protein and fat for satiety, but Special K cereal really only offers carbs and, well, air. If you want carbs to kick off the day, you're better off pairing eggs with a slice of 100% whole grain toast. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Fat free salad dressing or regular salad dressing?Tara Johnson for TIMEAnswer: Regular salad dressingTo absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins E and K in vegetables you need to consume them with a fat to aid nutrient absorption. Fat-free dressing, meanwhile, is low-calorie but gets its flavor from added sugar and salt.Tara Johnson for TIME (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate?Getty Images (2)Answer: Dark chocolate “People believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies tend to be high in carbs, sugar and fake sugar. Try a nice piece of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate instead.Getty Images (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt?Tara Johnson for TIMEAnswer: 2% Greek YogurtA little fat is good in the morning to keep you full—plus it has upwards of 17g of protein per container. Fat-free "fruit" yogurt is high in sugar—7 to 10 g per serving—and lower in protein.Tara Johnson for TIME (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
The move is an acknowledgment that consumers have grown leery of processed foods and ingredients with unpronounceable names, as outlined in a recent special report by Fortune on the threats to Big Food. Last week, Hershey’s announced it was removing artificial flavors from its iconic chocolate bars.
General Mills and rival Kraft Foods are the two biggest players in the cereals market and have been grappling with declining sales of that category as people increasingly opt for other breakfast items they see as more natural.
