Target to stop selling all cereals containing synthetic dyes by May 2026

Target told shoppers and suppliers that every cereal sold in its stores and online must be made without certified synthetic food dyes by the end of May 2026, a retailer-wide deadline that the company says covers national brands as well as its private labels.

Target said the move follows years of reformulation work and that nearly 85% of its cereal sales already come from products made without certified synthetic dyes. The company described partnerships with national brands and its own labels to change recipes, and noted that Trix and Lucky Charms from General Mills will have updated formulations as part of the shift.

Target highlighted its Good & Gather private label as an existing model for the change. Good & Gather, launched in 2019, is “made without artificial flavors and sweeteners, synthetic colors or high fructose corn syrup” and now includes more than 2,500 products across dairy, produce, ready made pastas meat as well as baby and toddler food.

Retail deadlines collide with manufacturer timelines. General Mills announced last year it plans to remove artificial dyes from all U.S. cereals by summer 2026 and to eliminate dyes from foods served in K-12 schools by the same timeframe, while looking to remove dyes from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027. WK Kellogg has said it plans to remove artificial dyes from cereals by the end of 2027; Kellogg cereals sold at Target that contain synthetic colors include Froot Loops, Apple Jacks and a product reported as Squishmallows. Messages seeking comment were left Friday with General Mills and WK Kellogg.

Target told suppliers it will not continue to carry brands that refuse to reformulate, though the company did not name any brands it plans to drop. An Instagram post by Target repeated the retailer’s deadline: “Target has announced that by the end of May 2026, every cereal sold in its stores and online must be made without certified synthetic food dyes.”

The retail move comes as federal regulators act on petroleum-based dyes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned Red 3 last January, days before former President Joe Biden left office, and later urged food makers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors by the end of 2026. The FDA is also reviewing Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 and Blue No. 1. The agency has relaxed labeling rules so that food labels may claim to have “no artificial colors” when they are free of petroleum-based dyes even if they contain dyes derived from natural sources such as plants.

Target positioned its policy as one of the first by a major retailer to remove synthetic dyes from the cereal aisle entirely, joining retailers with existing policies on colors. Whole Foods has banned artificial colors since its founding in 1980, and Trader Joe’s does not use synthetic colors in its products. Walmart last year announced plans to remove synthetic food dyes and 30 other ingredients from its U.S. store brands by January 2027; other major food companies including Kraft Heinz, Nestle and Conagra Brands have pledged similar dye-elimination efforts.

Target executive vice president and chief merchandising officer Cara Sylvester framed the change as customer-driven: “We know consumers are increasingly prioritizing healthier lifestyles, and we're moving quickly to evolve our offerings to meet their needs.” The company announced the policy on Friday; the May 2026 cutoff sets a hard date that will force some manufacturers to accelerate reformulations or risk delisting from Target if they do not meet the retailer’s standard.