COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. — The owners of the company that manufactures Little Debbie snacks said it plans to remove artificial food dyes from its products by the end of 2027.

McKee Foods, based in Collegedale. Tennessee, said it has already removed Red Dye No. 3 from its products and will phase out additional synthetic colors over the next year and a half, WTVC reported.

The removal of the artificial dyes comes as state and federal agencies move toward banning the substances, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. McKee Foods is following in the footsteps of General Mills and Kraft Heinz, who committed to phasing out color additives in 2025.

In January 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set a January 2027 deadline for food manufacturers to remove Red Dye No. 3, the newspaper reported. The agency cited research from Temple University that showed cancer in male rats exposed to the dye, the Times Free Press reported.

In April 2025, the FDA announced several measures aimed at removing all petroleum-based artificial food dyes from U.S. products, substituting them with new natural color additives.

McKee Foods completed the removal of Red No. 3 from its products in January, company spokesperson Mike Gloekler told the Times Free Press. He said other artificial dyes will be removed by the end of 2027.

“McKee Foods is committed to compliance with all federal and state regulations regarding ingredients, food safety, packaging and labeling and actively monitors the evolving regulatory landscape,” Gloekler said in an email to the newspaper. “We stand behind the safety of our products, noting that the FDA has reviewed and certified the food dyes in question.”

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