Rise Baking Co. to Eliminate Synthetic Colors by End of 2026

Minneapolis, Minn.-based Rise Baking Co. has announced its plan to eliminate synthetic colors across its entire bakery products portfolio by the end of 2026.

It has been the “anti-synthetic summer” for colors in food and beverage, and Rise is just the latest large food company or group to announce the commitment to eliminate them — as demand to do so from customers and consumers rises. All this after the FDA on April 22 “asked” food & beverage processors to remove six petroleum-based colorants from products and suggested it be done “by the end of next year.”

Things really got rolling in July, when the International Dairy Foods Assn. (IDFA) said dozens of ice cream manufacturers would eliminate artificial colors by the end of 2027, while the Consumer Brands Assn. first pledged it would encourage members to take them out of food and beverage products destined for schools.

WK Kellogg Co made its own commitment later in July, and Consumer Brands expanded its request to its members that they should eliminate the six FDA-targeted ingredients from their full food and beverage portfolios. Mars Wrigley also committed to offering options that do not use synthetic colors for a handful of its products, which were expected to be available sometime next year.

Finally, at the end of August, the American Bakers Association (ABA) announced a voluntary commitment that about 96% of its members would remove synthetic colors from school baked goods by next school year.

Rise noted that the majority of its products already do not use synthetic colors and work is also underway to remove them from some cookies, pies, cakes, icings and muffins that still include them. A dedicated in-house team is working with ingredient partners to transition products through the changes and subsequent quality testing process.

Rise began removing Red 3 and other synthetic colors in 2024, and it said it should be finished making changes ahead of regulatory requirements. It has been aiming to implement colors derived from natural sources to replace the synthetics in the portfolio.

As an example of work already completed toward this goal, Rise noted that Brill Simplicous Buttercremes have begun using “cutting-edge color technology” rather than synthetic colors, without ruining the product texture and mouthfeel customers demand.

Rise produces baked goods for in-store bakeries and foodservice clients throughout North America, featuring brands such as Brill, South Coast Baking, Table Talk, Best Maid, Henry & Henry, and Bakestone Brothers, among others.