Dozens of protesters rallied at WK Kellogg Co. headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, on Tuesday, calling on the company to remove artificial dyes from cereals sold in the U.S., according to reports.
As the maker of some of America’s favorite cereals – like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks – Kellogg said nearly a decade ago it would take artificial colors and ingredients out of its products by 2018.
In Canada, though, Kellogg uses concentrated carrot juice, watermelon juice, huito juice and blueberry juice to color Froot Loops, the company’s Canadian site shows.
But in the U.S., Kellogg continues to use artificial colors and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which according to WebMD is a lab-made chemical added to foods as a preservative. Some people even use BHT as medicine as it can be used to treat acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and genital herpes, WebMD notes.
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A CBS station in Lansing reported that protesters were delivering petitions with over 420,000 signatures from people demanding WK Kellogg remove BHT and artificial dyes from their cereals.
Activists at the demonstration claim evidence shows artificial dyes can contribute to behavioral issues in children.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it has evaluated the effects of artificial additives on children’s behavior but believes most children do not have adverse effects when consuming them.
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WK Kellogg did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
The company told the station that its foods are safe, and the ingredients comply with federal regulations.
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“Today, more than 85% of our cereal sales contain no colors from artificial sources,” Kellogg said in a statement. “In fact, we continuously innovate new cereals that do not contain colors from artificial sources across our biggest brands, offering a broad choice of nourishing foods for our consumers.”