this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2025
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206
J.M. Smucker plans to remove artificial colors from its jams and other products (www.npr.org)
submitted 2 days ago by tonytins@pawb.social to c/news@lemmy.world
31 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Smucker joins a growing number of big food companies that have announced plans to eliminate artificial dyes.

all 32 comments
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[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 36 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

I had to check, because I was pretty sure there's already no dyes in their jam and that is true.

You can make jam easily by boiling 2 cups rinsed and hulled (and cut if you like smaller bits) strawberries with the juice of a lemon and 2 cups of sugar for about 8 minutes, scraping the bottom with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. It will be a nice bright color without any help. If you're not proficient with doing sterile jars, store half in the fridge and half in the freezer.

Turns out the dyes are mostly in Hostess baked goods and other companies they've acquired.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This is the way. I make a great sweet and sour sauce with frozen cranberries, sugar, a little butter and water. Making stuff at home is so much better tasting, you don't over eat it and it's cheaper.

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Storebought is fine if you need jam and don't have time or energy.

But if you aren't up for eating all of those fresh berries in the fridge before they go bad, there's a reason it's called "preserves." And you can mix different berries, even pitted cherries, or I've added a pouch of açai before, it's all good, just different. If you want it smooth, use a blender or scrape it through a strainer. I've subbed Xylitol for the sugar and it works too.

[–] dohpaz42@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago

Found jordan_the_stallion8.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Unless they had, like, blue raspberry you don't really need artificial dyes in jams, jellies, or preserves unless you're adding a bunch of extra bullshit that overtakes the fruit's natural color beyond the sugar and pectin.

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Nah I'd bet it's for better sales beyond reasonable shelf life, fight against oxidation discoloration causing a miniscule drop in sales close to the sell by date.

The difference it makes is marginal but when you lead sales in anything, marginal changes are like millions of dollars.

[–] candyman337@lemmy.world 28 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Companies announcing this like they're doing it because it's good when it's really it's because of a hair brained mandate by RFK

[–] Forester@pawb.social 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I mean he's a crazy nut but I'm kind of behind this one. I do not think we should be dying our food to make it look more palatable

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Removing artificial coloring doesn’t mean they’ll no longer be dyeing food, it means they’ll be using bugs (cochineal) and algae to do it, along with other natural dyes.

[–] candyman337@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yes thank you all this changes is it'll be harder for brands to produce dues and that cost will be passed onto the customer

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

If it was just a cost thing I wouldn’t necessarily mind, but it hasn’t been established that natural dyes are always safer than artificial ones. Sometimes taking a lot of a natural thing and concentrating it also concentrates what would otherwise be a low level contaminant that wasn’t concerning, because you’d never consume enough of the non-concentrated thing for it to matter.

[–] candyman337@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Yes that is also a concern, I agree

[–] steal_your_face@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Haven't artificial dyes been banned from most countries because they cause cancer and shit? Fuck RFK but this one seems actually beneficial.

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 5 points 2 days ago

Not all artificial dyes. I'm sure some have. And some natural dyes, like logwood, are toxic.

[–] candyman337@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

That's not even remotely true

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 days ago

While I support this, my grape jelly is about to look weird.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I think this is great... maybe it'll cut costs

[–] plz1@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago (2 children)

For the companies, yup. For the consumers, absolutely not. They'll probably charge even more for the less-adulterated products... Line. Must. Go. Up.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Good point

[–] TheRealAsmodeus@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Excellent news!!!

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 4 points 2 days ago

Unlikely. If it was cheaper to use natural dyes, they'd probably already be doing it.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 9 points 2 days ago

Now do hfcs.

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 days ago

Why not announce it when you’ve done it? Intent only gets you so far.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 3 points 2 days ago

Cool, fine by me!

[–] 21Cabbage@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 2 days ago

Nothing of theirs comes to mind that you'd even have to dye in the first place, hell half their products could probably be used as a dye.

[–] motor_spirit@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

JM Smucker and JK Simmons need a buddy cop situation

[–] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] motor_spirit@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

this seems like wisdom very few wizards possess.. magnificent

[–] astrsk@fedia.io 2 points 2 days ago

Doubt this is gonna lower prices. I’ll still only buy local jams and jellies.