Eva Mendes says she won’t eat Kellogg’s cereal, demands brand to “remove artificial food dyes”

Eva Mendes will never eat Kellogg’s cereals ever again. In the wake of protests over the breakfast food company’s use of artificial dyes, the actor shared her thoughts on the matter.

“I grew up on cereal. I still love it but I won’t eat @kelloggsus anymore after I found out that so many of the ingredients they use here in the US are BANNED in other countries. Why? Because they’re harmful for children,” Mendes said in an Instagram post made Oct. 8. On Tuesday, she urged her followers to join in on a “peaceful march to Kelloggs HQ to ask them to REMOVE artificial food dyes.”

Many agreed with Mendes’s stance, while others claimed that artificial dyes have been deemed safe for consumption. “Yes thank you so so much for giving a voice to this topic,” commented functional medicine expert Dr. Will Cole. On the contrary, biomedical scientist Dr. Andrea Love told Mendes, “This is a really harmful message you’re spreading that undermines our food experts and food security for many people . . . please consider seeking actual experts if you want to discuss these topics.”

The protests against Kellogg’s ingredients list come after the passage of the California School Food Safety Act, which bans six artificial food dyes most commonly found in foods served in school cafeterias across the state. The ban includes Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3. Kellogg’s Froot Loops contains Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1 and butylated hydroxytolune (BHT).

On Tuesday, hundreds of protestors assembled outside the WK Kellogg headquarters in Michigan, urging the company to remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals sold in the U.S. Kellogg’s made a promise to remove artificial additives from its products by 2018. In Canada, Kellogg’s Froot Loops are now made with natural fruit juice concentrates, but cereals in the U.S. still contain chemical additives and preservatives.

“Our products — and the ingredients we use to make them — are compliant with all applicable relevant laws and regulations,” Kellogg’s said in a statement to USA TODAY. “We remain committed to transparently labeling our ingredients so consumers can easily make choices about the food they purchase.”