Froot Loops probably don't lead your list when it comes to major differences between Canada and the United States. You might opt for Canadians' love affair with hockey, or poutine.
Still, a Redditor blew the minds of many on the r/mildlyinteresting subreddit with a photo of the countries' Froot Loops side by side.
On one side was a notably flat collection of colors in the familiar ring shape. The other side was resplendent, like adjusting your phone from the battery saver mode.
"I assume the American ones are brightly colored," a user guessed.
Their hunch was correct, as the major distinction was due to a change that dates back almost a decade.
Under pressure from consumers and regulators, Froot Loops' parent brand, Kellogg's, was one of several prominent brands in Canada to make the transition from artificial colors to natural ones, per Canadian Grocer. Their Froot Loops use colors from sources such as turmeric, as The Washington Post noted.
The unnaturally bright U.S. Froot Loops, meanwhile, feature artificial food dyes including Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, and Yellow 6, according to Kellogg's. These dyes are purely cosmetic — the shiny thing that makes you want more.
They remain abundant in the states despite a concerning amount of evidence linking them to "adverse behavioral trends" in children, as one study put it. Some countries ban these dyes, whereas their use is prominent in others.
The Post reported how Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. greatly exaggerated the lack of ingredients in Canadian Froot Loops while drawing attention to problematic food dyes, but that doesn't mean key differences don't exist. Many states are taking action to ban the use of artificial food dyes, and Red 3 was just banned by the Food and Drug Administration.
For consumers who want to avoid food dyes, checking out ingredient lists is a simple step to take.
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The way it looks 😍 The Reddit community reacted to the stark difference in the two Froot Loops.
"I instantly assumed that the ones that looked like they had literal paint in them were American," a user wrote. "I'm sorry, Americans, but the left ones look considerably more edible."
"Look, I am not buying a box of froot loops because I am concerned about health," someone else countered. "I want brightly coloured sugar rings, that's it."
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