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The FDA encourages manufacturers to eliminate six petroleum-based dyes by the end of 2027.

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• General Mills says all of its cereals sold in the U.S., including Lucky Charms and Trix, are now made without certified colors.

• The company met the goal on schedule after removing certified colors from all of its foods supplied to K-12 schools earlier this year.

• About 90% of General Mills U.S. retail products have now made the transition, with fruit snacks and baking products next in line.

General Mills has completed the removal of certified colors from its entire U.S. cereal portfolio, changing the recipes of some of the most colorful products in the breakfast aisle.

The company said Wednesday that all its cereals sold in the United States including Lucky Charms and Trix are now made without the synthetic dyes subject to Food and Drug Administration batch certification.

As the leader in cereal, General Mills is focused on giving people what they are looking for from the brands they know and love, Bethany Quam, president of Big G Cereal at General Mills, said in the companys announcement.

Quam said the reformulations are intended to meet changing consumer preferences while preserving taste, quality and value. The FDA encourages manufacturers to eliminate six petroleum-based dyes by the end of 2027.

The company did not identify all the replacement ingredients used in the reformulated cereals in its announcement. Packaging shown by General Mills states that the cereals now contain colors from natural sources. Consumers who want to know what is used in a particular product should check its current ingredient label because older packages may remain on store shelves during the transition.

What are certified colors?

Certified colors is a regulatory term generally covering synthetic dyes and pigments that must undergo FDA batch testing before manufacturers may use them. Common examples include Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2.

Certification is intended to verify that each batch meets federal identity and purity requirements. The term does not mean that natural color additives are unregulated; the FDA must also authorize those ingredients for their intended uses.

The agency says most children do not experience adverse effects from approved color additives, although evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to them. Research into possible behavioral effects continues, according to the FDA.

The cereal changes come amid a broader government and industry effort to move away from petroleum-based synthetic dyes. In 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services and FDA announced plans to work with manufacturers to phase out several such dyes and expand the availability of alternatives from other sources.

A wider change is underway

General Mills announced its color-removal goals in June 2025. It completed the first major step in March 2026, when it said all foods it supplies to K-12 schools were being made without certified colors.

Completion of the cereal overhaul brings the company closer to its larger goal of removing certified colors from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027.

General Mills said 90% of that portfolio has now completed the transition. Remaining categories include fruit snacks and baking products.

The food maker is also expanding its selection of products with more protein, fiber and familiar ingredients. General Mills said it plans to introduce more than twice as many products reflecting changing nutrition preferences during the current fiscal year as it did two years ago.

For shoppers, the most visible difference could be in brightly colored cereals. The companys announcement emphasizes that the products will continue to offer familiar taste and quality, but it does not promise that their appearance will be identical to the previous versions.

A few simple habits that could make your phone a better memory tool

• Screenshots may hurt your memory: Research found people remembered less about information they captured than information they simply viewed.

• Dont just screenshot and forget: If something matters, summarize it, save it somewhere useful, or revisit it later.

• Turn screenshots into action: Move appointments to your calendar, recipes to a saved folderm, and important reminders to a place youll actually check.

See a restaurant you want to try? Screenshot it. An important confirmation number? Screenshot. A recipe, gift idea, or interesting article? You know the drill.

But that convenient little habit may come with an unexpected downside.

A new study from researchers at Binghamton University found that people consistently remembered less about information they screenshotted than information they simply viewed. The research, recently highlighted by StudyFinds, involved seven experiments and 892 undergraduate students.

In one experiment, recognition of screenshotted images dropped below 60%, despite participants viewing a relatively small number of images.

Researchers call the phenomenon "digital amnesia."

So should you stop taking screenshots?

Not necessarily. The more useful lesson may be to stop treating the screenshot itself as the final step.

If it's important, do something with it

Researchers aren't certain why screenshotting appears to interfere with memory.

One possibility is cognitive offloading: Once your brain knows the information has been safely stored somewhere else, it may decide it doesn't need to work as hard to remember it.

Another possibility is that taking the screenshot causes you to mentally disengage from what you're looking at.

So give your brain another job.

After taking an important screenshot, spend a few seconds summarizing what you just saved. Instead of simply capturing a restaurant recommendation, for example, tell yourself: "That's the Italian restaurant Sarah recommended in Sacramento." That forces you to actually process the information instead of immediately swiping away.

Pro tip: If something really matters, write a quick note about it. The goal isn't merely to store the information it's to interact with it.

Don't let your camera roll become a junk drawer

Think about how many screenshots are currently sitting on your phone. Now think about how many you've actually looked at twice.

That's particularly relevant because the study tested screenshots that participants didn't review later. Researchers specifically caution that the findings don't tell us what happens when people actively return to saved screenshots.

So, try to create a simple review habit. Once a week, spend five minutes going through recent screenshots. At that point, delete what you no longer need and move useful information somewhere where you'll actually find it again.

A recipe goes into a recipes folder. An appointment goes into your calendar. A product you want to research goes onto a shopping list.

Pro tip: Set a recurring five-minute "screenshot cleanup" reminder. If an image has been sitting there for three months and you can't remember why you saved it, that's probably your answer.

Save the information where you'll need it

A screenshot of an appointment isn't nearly as useful as an appointment entered into your calendar. Neither is a screenshot of a hotel confirmation buried between a meme and a picture of shoes from the department store.

For genuinely important information, use the screenshot as a temporary holding place rather than a place for permanent storage.

Put addresses into contacts, confirmation numbers into trip notes, and deadlines into your calendar with an alert. The information will then become both easier to find and much harder to forget.

Don't screenshot something you're actually trying to learn

This might be the most useful takeaway for students, or anyone trying to remember instructions, directions, or other important information.

If your goal is learning, try to resist the urge to simply capture the screen. Instead, read it. Summarize it in your own words. Explain it to someone else. Then try to quiz yourself on it.

The researchers specifically looked for potential benefits that might compensate for the memory loss, such as freeing up mental resources for other tasks, but found little consistent evidence of one.

There's an important catch

Don't delete your entire screenshot folder because of one study.

Participants were 17 to 27-year-old college students from one university, so researchers say the findings may not apply equally to older adults or people with memory difficulties. And again, the experiments didn't examine what happens when people deliberately revisit their screenshots later.

The main takeaway is that if something is important enough to screenshot, make it important enough to look at again.

Otherwise, you may be saving it to your phone at the same moment your brain decides it doesn't need to save it at all.

Confusing prices, disappointing products, and checkout surprises are just a few

• Dont assume everything costs $1.25: Dollar Trees multiple price points make checking shelf tags and receipts more important.

• Compare the actual value: Smaller packages can cost more per ounce, bag, or tablet than larger packages elsewhere.

• Cheap isnt a bargain if you replace it: Consider quality, test unfamiliar products before stocking up, and watch prices as they ring up.

Dollar Tree is still one of those stores where it's remarkably easy to walk in for gift bags and leave with snacks, batteries, and six things you didn't know you needed.

But the shopping experience has changed.

Dollar Tree has expanded beyond its original single-price model, with merchandise now available at several higher price points.

A recent The Daily Meal article examined some common Dollar Tree customer complaints gathered from online reviews and consumer feedback. They range from confusing prices to product quality and checkout problems.

Customer complaints are often anecdotal and don't mean you'll have the same experience. But several of these provide some useful lessons for your next Dollar Tree run.

Don't assume you know the price

This might be the biggest adjustment for longtime shoppers.

The Daily Meal found complaints from customers frustrated by Dollar Tree's expanding price points, including merchandise costing $3, $5, $7, or more.

What to do: Look at the shelf tag instead of assuming something costs $1.25 based on where it's sitting. Pay particular attention when grabbing similar products from the same shelf. Something sitting next to a $1.25 item doesn't necessarily cost $1.25.

Compare how much you're actually getting

One of the easiest dollar-store traps is confusing low price with good value.

A $1.25 package certainly feels cheaper than a $4 package at a supermarket or big-box store. But look at how much product you're actually getting.

A smaller package can cost more per ounce, sheet, bag or tablet. For example, 10 trash bags for $1.25 works out to 12.5 cents per bag. A package of 40 for $4 costs only 10 cents each.

Dollar Tree requires less money today, but the larger package is the better value. Its smart to use your phone's calculator to compare unit prices on products you buy regularly.

Think about what happens if the cheap version disappoints

The Daily Meal also highlighted complaints from shoppers unhappy with the quality or durability of certain purchases. That's where it's smart to separate disposable bargains from products you expect to last.

A cheap party decoration needed for one night has a very different job from batteries, kitchen tools, or household products you're expecting to use repeatedly.

What to do: Ask yourself one question before buying: If this doesn't work well, will I immediately have to buy another one? If the answer is yes, spending a little more elsewhere may actually save you money.

Pro tip: Try one before stocking up on an unfamiliar product simply because the price looks good.

Watch the register closely

Another complaint highlighted by The Daily Meal involves shoppers saying checkout prices didn't match what they expected. That's particularly worth watching now that Dollar Tree has multiple price points.

What to do: Keep an eye on the register as your items are scanned, especially anything you thought was $1.25. Then check your receipt before leaving for unexpected prices, duplicate scans, or incorrect quantities.

Pro tip: If a shelf price looks particularly good, snap a photo of the tag. If the item rings up differently, you'll have the displayed price handy.

The bottom line

None of this means Dollar Tree has stopped offering bargains.

The lesson from the complaints is simply that Dollar Tree isn't a place where you should automatically assume you're getting the cheapest option anymore.

Check the price. Compare the package size. Decide whether quality matters. And watch what rings up.

Because sometimes the most expensive $1.25 purchase is the one you have to replace a week later.

The latest scam promises up to $600 a day for barely an hour of work. Here's how to spot the trap.

• Scammers are impersonating Amazon recruiters. Consumers receive texts promising $100 to $600 a day for as little as 60 to 90 minutes of remote work.

• Do the reality check before responding. Ask whether you actually applied, calculate the supposed hourly wage, and verify openings directly through Amazons official jobs site.

• Never pay to get paid. Dont send money, crypto, gift cards, or sensitive financial information to a supposed employer.

Have you received a text saying Amazon wants to hire you for a remote job paying hundreds of dollars a day? It might sound like an incredible opportunity, but unfortunately, its almost certainly fake.

Kurt Knutsson of CyberGuy, reporting for Fox News, recently flagged a new wave of scam texts impersonating Amazon recruiters. The messages promise $100 to $600 per day for as little as 60 to 90 minutes of work, along with perks like paid time off and free training.

The pitch is tempting, but it contains several red flags that can help you spot the scam before you respond.

Ask yourself: Did I apply?

This might be the easiest red flag.

The scam message claims a recruiter reviewed your "background," but there's no mention of an application, previous conversation, or specific position you supposedly applied for.

An unsolicited recruiting message isn't automatically fraudulent, but an amazing job opportunity appearing out of nowhere does deserve a closer look.

First off, don't click a link in the text to investigate. Instead, go independently to Amazon's official jobs website and search for the position yourself.

Do the hourly-pay math

The scam promises up to $600 for about 90 minutes of work. That's $400 an hour.

Yet the message doesn't explain what specialized skills could possibly justify that compensation.

Scammers may be pairing easy work with high pay because they want you focused on the money instead of asking whether the offer makes any sense.

Pro tip: Whenever you see a daily earnings claim, be sure to calculate the hourly wage. If an easy, entry-level side hustle suddenly pays like a highly specialized profession, that's a giant red flag.

Don't reply just to see what happens

Some of these texts don't initially contain a suspicious link, which for some, can make them look less dangerous. Instead, the sender simply asks you to reply "YES" or "INTERESTED."

That may seem harmless, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that unexpected job texts can lead to "task ."

Victims may be asked to complete simple online activities while watching supposed earnings accumulate in an account. Eventually, they're told they need to deposit their own money to continue working or withdraw their earnings.

The balance on the screen may be fake, but the money you send isn't, so be careful.

Never pay to get paid

This is the rule worth remembering even when scammers change their tactics. A legitimate employer shouldn't require you to send money to receive your wages.

Be suspicious if a supposed employer asks you to deposit money, send cryptocurrency, buy gift cards, pay a fee, or purchase equipment through a specific vendor.

The FTC's advice is simple: Never pay anyone to get paid.

Ignore the countdown clock

The Amazon impersonation text reportedly claims only 18 positions remain. That's classic scam psychology.

Phrases like "limited positions," "respond immediately," or "spots filling fast" create urgency so you'll act before investigating.

The more urgent an unsolicited job opportunity sounds, the more slowly you should proceed.

What if you already replied?

Simply responding doesn't mean you've automatically lost money.

Be sure to stop communicating and don't provide your Social Security number, banking information, passwords, or any other sensitive information.

If you've already sent money or provided any financial information, contact your bank or card issuer immediately and report the incident to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.