Protesters recently marched outside Kellogg’s headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan to demand the company make changes to its cereal formulas. Food activist Vani Hari, also known as Food Babe, led the effort and spearheaded a petition to deliver to the food giant. Eva Mendes also threw her voice behind the movement with a post on Instagram in the hope it would spur Kellogg’s to listen to the group’s demands.
Protestors meet outside Kellogg’s HQ to demand the removal of artificial dyes and BHT from cereals
The Battle Creek protestors gathered on Tuesday, October 15, to demand Kellogg’s remove artificial dyes and a preservative from their cereals sold in the United States. The ingredients the group wants to see gone include Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, and Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). While these substances haven’t been definitively linked with any widespread health issues and are legally approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, Kellogg’s formulas outside the US don’t include these additives.
The crowd formed at Friendship Park, and several speakers, including Hari, addressed the audience. The protestors then marched to Kellogg’s HQ to deliver the petition and its 417,000 signatures.
Hari stated:
“American food companies are knowingly using ingredients here in this country that they removed abroad due to stricter regulations and to avoid warning labels. This isn’t just about ingredients; this is a moral issue. It is unethical, and it needs to stop.”
The protest was peaceful with no incidents or injuries on either side. While the group wasn’t allowed to enter Kellogg’s property, security took the petition and promised to deliver it to leadership. According to Salon, though she didn’t attend, Eva Mendes offered her support for Hari’s petition in an Instagram post.
In the wake of the gathering, Kellogg released this statement to the Battle Creek Enquirer:
“We respect the right for all to express their opinions and received the petition from Ms. Hari, which we will review and share with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government body that regulates the use of these ingredients.
The quality and safety of our foods is our top priority. Our products – and the ingredients we use to make them – are compliant with all applicable relevant laws and regulations and we remain committed to transparently labeling our ingredients so consumers can easily make choices about the food they purchase.
Today, more than 85 percent of the cereal we sell contains no colors from artificial sources. In fact, we continuously innovate new cereals that do not contain colors from artificial sources across our biggest brands, offering a broad choice of nourishing foods for our consumers. This approach is consistent with our commitment to meet evolving consumer preferences.”
No follow-up protest has been planned as of writing.
