The J.M. Smucker Co. Announces Commitment to Remove FD&C Colors from Consumer Food Products

Rhea-AI Summary

J.M. Smucker (NYSE: SJM) has announced plans to remove FD&C colors from all consumer food products by the end of 2027. This initiative primarily affects their sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and certain Hostess® brand products.

The company will also cease selling products containing FD&C colors to K-12 schools by the 2026/2027 school year. This move follows previous product innovations, including the removal of high-fructose corn syrup from Uncrustables® sandwiches and the introduction of all-natural fruit spreads.

Positive

• Proactive response to changing consumer preferences for natural ingredients
• Demonstrates commitment to product innovation and evolution
• Majority of consumer food products already free of FD&C colors
• Strategic alignment with health-conscious market trends

Negative

• Implementation timeline extends to end of 2027, potentially lagging behind competitors
• Reformulation costs and potential impact on product pricing not disclosed

Insights

Food Industry Analyst

Smucker's artificial color removal aligns with clean-label trends but offers limited immediate financial impact.

J.M. Smucker's commitment to eliminate FD&C artificial colors from its consumer food products by 2027 represents a strategic adaptation to evolving market preferences rather than a transformative initiative. The limited scope of this change—affecting only sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and select Hostess products—indicates most of their portfolio already meets this standard, minimizing the overall business impact.

The extended implementation timeline through 2027 reveals a carefully managed approach that allows for methodical reformulation while controlling costs. This gradual transition suggests the company anticipates minimal disruption to operations or margins. The prioritization of K-12 school products, targeted for reformulation by the 2026/2027 school year, strategically focuses on a demographic increasingly concerned about artificial ingredients.

Smucker's reference to previous successful reformulations—removing high-fructose corn syrup from Uncrustables and developing all-natural fruit spreads—demonstrates institutional experience managing such transitions and mitigating risks to product acceptance. This initiative represents continuation of an existing strategy rather than a new direction.

From a competitive standpoint, this move merely maintains parity with industry trends as numerous food manufacturers have already undertaken similar clean-label initiatives. While reformulation will require R&D investments and potentially increase ingredient costs, these expenditures should be manageable given the extended timeline and limited product scope.

The announcement reflects sound business adaptation but lacks the scale or urgency to significantly impact near-term financial performance or competitive positioning.

ORRVILLE, Ohio, June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM) today announced its commitment to remove FD&C colors from all consumer food products by the end of calendar year 2027. While the majority of the Company's consumer foods are already free of FD&C colors, this removal will impact its sugar-free fruit spreads and ice cream toppings as well as certain products from its Hostess^® brand portfolio. In addition, a majority of the Company's products currently available to K-12 schools do not contain any FD&C colors and the Company is working with its distribution partners to no longer sell products with FD&C colors to K-12 schools by the 2026/2027 school year.

"Throughout our 128-year history, we have successfully evolved our portfolio and product offerings based on shifts in consumer preferences," said Mark Smucker, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board. "Our commitment to remove FD&C colors from our sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and sweet baked goods products represents the latest example of our desire to evolve and our ability to continue to innovate to deliver on the expectations of our consumers. Importantly, this work is ongoing, and we are consistently evaluating consumer behavior to ensure we are addressing any notable changes while maintaining our commitment to offer choice."

The Company has previously evolved its product offerings based on consumer preference and feedback, including removing high-fructose corn syrup from its Uncrustables^® sandwiches and introducing fruit spreads featuring ingredients from all natural sources as well as reduced sugar options.

"As a food manufacturer, our top priority is to provide safe, quality, affordable, and convenient products that meet the needs of our consumers, and this decision supports that commitment," said John Brase, President and Chief Operating Officer. "Our teams are working diligently on reformulation planning while evaluating supply considerations to help ensure we continue to deliver products that delight our consumers."

About The J.M. Smucker Co.

At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to make food people and pets love by offering a diverse family of brands available across North America. We are proud to lead in the coffee, peanut butter, fruit spreads, frozen handheld, sweet baked goods, dog snacks, and cat food categories by offering brands consumers trust for themselves and their families each day, including Folgers^®, Dunkin'^®, Café Bustelo^®, Jif^®, Uncrustables^®, Smucker's^®, Hostess^®, Milk-Bone^®, and Meow Mix^®. Through our unwavering commitment to producing quality products, operating responsibly and ethically and delivering on our Purpose, we will continue to grow our business while making a positive impact on society. For more information, please visit jmsmucker.com.

The J.M. Smucker Co. is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for Dunkin'^®, which is a trademark of DD IP Holder LLC. The Dunkin'^® brand is licensed to The J.M. Smucker Co. for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, e-commerce and drug stores, and in certain away from home channels. This information does not pertain to products for sale in Dunkin'^® restaurants.

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SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Co.

FAQ

When will Smucker (SJM) remove FD&C colors from all consumer food products?

Smucker plans to remove FD&C colors from all consumer food products by the end of 2027.

Which Smucker (SJM) products will be affected by the FD&C color removal?

The removal will affect sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and certain Hostess® brand products.

When will Smucker (SJM) stop selling products with FD&C colors to schools?

Smucker will stop selling products containing FD&C colors to K-12 schools by the 2026/2027 school year.

What other ingredient changes has Smucker (SJM) made to its products?

Smucker has previously removed high-fructose corn syrup from Uncrustables® sandwiches and introduced fruit spreads with all-natural ingredients and reduced sugar options.

How many Smucker (SJM) products currently contain FD&C colors?

The majority of Smucker's consumer foods are already free of FD&C colors, with only select products in their sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and Hostess® portfolio containing these artificial colors.