Major Food Companies Accelerate MAHA Changes To Recipes

Major companies like PepsiCo and Tyson Foods are accelerating changes to their American recipes to more align with the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced last month that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with companies to phase out petroleum-based food dyes by the end of 2026, in addition to banning numerous other color additives.

The CEOs of both PepsiCo and Tyson Foods have said they will be ahead of schedule on such changes.

Ramon Laguarta, the head of PepsiCo, said on a recent conference call that he wants his company to lead the way on ridding products of artificial food dyes. PepsiCo makes drinks like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade, and owns the Frito-Lay brand, which makes Doritos, Lay’s, and Sun Chips, to name only a few popular products.

Specifically, brands like Lay’s and Tostitos will be rid of artificial colors by the end of 2025 — a year ahead of Kennedy’s planned phase-out.

“We’ve been leading the transformation of the industry now for a long time on sodium reduction, sugar reduction and better fats,” Laguarta said on the call, Food Business News reported.

“When we talk about the US food business, 60%-plus of our (portfolio) today doesn’t have any artificial colors, so we’re undergoing that transition,” he added. “For example, brands like Lay’s will be out of artificial colors by the end of this year, and the same with Tostitos — some of our big brands. So we’re well underway.”

Laguarta also said he stood by the safety of all PepsiCo products as they are now, but acknowledged that this shift to more natural ingredients is what consumers are asking for. In the next couple of years, all PepsiCo products will have natural colors, or, at the least, options for natural colors so the consumer can choose, Laguarta said. 

“Our products are very safe, and there’s nothing to worry about. But we understand that there’s probably going to be a consumer demand for more natural ingredients, and we’re going to be accelerating that transition,” he said. “Ideally, we can do this in a very pragmatic, orchestrated way as an industry and not create unnecessary panic or chaos.”

“But we’ll lead that transition, and in the next couple of years, we’ll have migrated all the portfolio into natural colors or at least provide the consumer with natural color options,” the CEO added. “And every consumer will have the opportunity to choose what they prefer. So that’s the journey we’re undergoing.”

Donnie King, the CEO of Tyson Foods, which makes a number of chicken products and frozen foods, said the company will eliminate synthetic dyes from its products by the end of this month.

“Just 13 days after [HHS] and the [FDA] announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods today reported it will eliminate these dyes by the end of May,” Secretary Kennedy celebrated on X. “I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of Americans first. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again.”

Just 13 days after @HHSgov + @US_FDA announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods today reported it will eliminate these dyes by the end of May. I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of… pic.twitter.com/HUyKJCTN70

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) May 5, 2025

Related: MAHA In 100 Days: How Trump And RFK Are Transforming Food And Healthcare In America