General Mills brings back artificially-colored Trix cereal after customer complaints

22 Sep 2017 --- US food producer General Mills is to bring back the original, artificially-colored Trix cereal, after customer complaints about the naturally flavored replacements. In 2015, the company pledged to remove all artificial colors and flavorings from its products and started selling all-natural Trix in early 2016, which replaced synthetic colors using the natural color of radishes, purple carrots and turmeric. 

“We’re simply listening to consumers and these ingredients are not what people are looking for in their cereal today,” president of General Mills’ Cereal division, Jim Murphy said in a blog post.

Before General Mills released the new line of naturally flavored cereals, the company said they had a goal “to match the taste that consumers love, with little to no visible change to the color” of the cereal.

“Classic Trix”, which is colored artificially, will sit on store shelves alongside the new, natural-flavor version, according to General Mills.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that customer complaints included one calling the new product “basically a salad”. Another said that she liked the way the artificial colors and high-fructose corn syrup look and taste, the report said.

A General Mills spokesperson told CNBC that the new product will remain on the shelves as it “has its own fan base”.