General Mills, Yet Another Major Food Company To Ax Artificial Colors And Flavors

Reese's Puffs will be among the first to cross the natural threshold.

Tiffany Do•Updated: June 23, 2015 4:09 pm EST

In what General Mills is calling a "response to consumers' changing tastes," the cereal company will rid its products of all artificial flavors and colors by 2017.

The company cites a Nielsen survey that found that 49 percent of American families are axing the artificial stuff from their diets.

The first cereals to go au naturale (so to speak) are Trix and Reese's Puffs. The colorful, fruity look and taste of Trix will now be fueled by juices from real fruits and vegetables and colored with turmeric and annatto seeds instead of Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. Natural vanilla flavoring will be added to the peanut butter and chocolate combination that is Reese's Puffs cereal.

According to General Mills, over 60 percent of the brand's breakfast cereals, including Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cheerios, are already free of artificial ingredients. Of course, this is great news, since artificial coloring in foods has been linked to ADHD, cancer, asthma and a number of other things you wouldn't expect from your breakfast.

Also read: Can Big Food Really Clean Up Its Act?