Frosted Flakes vs Froot Loops: Same 12 g Sugar, 4 Dyes vs 0

Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops both list 12 g of added sugars per labeled serving. Froot Loops names four certified dyes in its ingredient list and says BHT is added to its packaging for freshness. Frosted Flakes names no certified colors and shows no BHT statement. This page lays the label facts side by side so you can weigh them yourself.

Key takeaways

• Both cereals list 12 g of added sugars per labeled serving, but the serving sizes differ: 1 1/3 cup (39 g) for Froot Loops and 1 cup (37 g) for Frosted Flakes.
• Froot Loops names Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 and Yellow 6. Frosted Flakes names no certified color additives.
• BHT is added to Froot Loops packaging for freshness. Frosted Flakes shows no BHT statement.
• The four Froot Loops dyes remain legal in U.S. food. The FDA's phase-out is a voluntary industry effort, not a ban.

Frosted Flakes vs Froot Loops at a Glance: Which Label Lists What

The table below uses the figures printed on each manufacturer's SmartLabel and product page (Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes). Every value is per labeled serving, so check the serving size row before comparing numbers.

Label item	Froot Loops (13.2 oz box)	Frosted Flakes (13.5 oz box)
Serving size	1 1/3 cup (39 g)	1 cup (37 g)
Calories	150	130
Total sugars / added sugars	12 g / 12 g (24% DV)	12 g / 12 g (24% DV)
Dietary fiber	3 g	1 g
Sodium	210 mg (9% DV)	190 mg (8% DV)
Iron	4.5 mg (25% DV)	7.2 mg (40% DV)
Certified color additives in ingredient list	Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6	None listed
Vegetable oil in ingredient list	Yes (2% or less; hydrogenated coconut, soybean and/or cottonseed)	Not listed
BHT	Added to packaging for freshness	No BHT statement
Allergen statement	Contains wheat ingredients	Does not contain Declaration Obligatory Allergens

How Much Sugar Is in Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes?

The added sugar figures match on the label. Both cereals show 12 g of total sugars and 12 g of added sugars per labeled serving, and each added sugar figure is 24% of the Daily Value. The FDA Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g, which is the basis for that percentage.

The serving sizes differ, though. Froot Loops uses a 39 g serving and Frosted Flakes uses a 37 g serving, so the same 12 g figure applies to slightly different amounts of cereal.

Does Froot Loops have sugar?

Yes. Froot Loops lists 12 g of added sugars per 39 g serving (1 1/3 cup), which is 24% of the Daily Value. Sugar is the second named ingredient in its ingredient list, directly after corn flour blend.

Does Frosted Flakes have sugar?

Yes. Frosted Flakes lists 12 g of added sugars per 37 g serving (1 cup), which is 24% of the Daily Value. Sugar is the second named ingredient in its ingredient list, directly after milled corn.

Whether either cereal's sugar content will change with reformulation was not disclosed.

Are Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 and Yellow 6 in Froot Loops Legal in the U.S.?

Yes, these four certified color additives remain legal in U.S. food under current FDA rules. The FDA lists nine certified color additives approved for food, and it names cereals among the typical uses for each of these four. Every batch of a certified color must be certified by the FDA, and labels must name each color, such as 'Blue 1'.

The FDA's effort to phase out petroleum-based dyes is voluntary, not a ban. The FDA's dye-pledge tracker, with content current as of October 16, 2026, lists WK Kellogg Co among the companies that committed to several steps. These include not launching new products with certified colors starting January 2026, eliminating certified colors from existing products by the end of 2026, and removing FD&C colors from K-12 cereals served in schools by the 2026-2027 school year. The tracker status is 'In progress.' The Froot Loops product page still lists red 40, yellow 5, blue 1 and yellow 6.

Frosted Flakes lists no certified color additives in its ingredient list.

Does Froot Loops have red 40?

Yes. The Froot Loops ingredient list names Red 40 alongside Yellow 5, Blue 1 and Yellow 6, and the product page still lists all four.

Does Froot Loops have artificial colors?

Yes. Froot Loops contains four certified synthetic color additives, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 and Yellow 6. Frosted Flakes names no certified color additives in its ingredient list.

Does Froot Loops Contain BHT?

The Froot Loops product page states that BHT is added to the packaging for freshness. It is described as a packaging addition rather than appearing in the ingredient list printed on that page. The amount of BHT in the packaging was not disclosed.

Does Frosted Flakes have BHT?

No BHT statement is shown on the Frosted Flakes label or product page.

For the federal review of BHT, see FDA Opens Formal Safety Reassessment of BHT: What It Means.

What Ingredients Differ Between Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes?

The ingredient lists differ in length and in the additives they name. Froot Loops lists corn flour blend, sugar, wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, modified food starch, vegetable oil, oat fiber, maltodextrin, salt, soluble corn fiber, natural flavor, and the four certified dyes. Frosted Flakes lists milled corn, sugar, malt flavor and, at 2% or less, salt.

The vitamin and mineral lists also differ in naming. Froot Loops lists vitamin C, reduced iron, niacinamide, several B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin D3 and vitamin B12. Frosted Flakes lists iron as ferric phosphate, along with niacinamide, several B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin D3 and vitamin B12.

Does Froot Loops have gluten?

Froot Loops lists wheat flour and whole grain oat flour, and its allergen statement reads CONTAINS WHEAT INGREDIENTS. This article does not establish whether the cereal is suitable for people with gluten-related conditions, so check with a healthcare professional.

Does Frosted Flakes have gluten?

Frosted Flakes lists malt flavor, and WK Kellogg does not label it gluten free; the source of the malt is not stated. Its SmartLabel reports that it does not contain Declaration Obligatory Allergens. Check with a healthcare professional about gluten concerns.

Both SmartLabels also state that the products contain a bioengineered food ingredient.

How Do Calories, Fiber, Sodium and Iron Compare per Labeled Serving?

Per labeled serving, Froot Loops (39 g) lists 150 calories and Frosted Flakes (37 g) lists 130 calories. Froot Loops (39 g) lists 3 g of dietary fiber and Frosted Flakes (37 g) lists 1 g.

Sodium is 210 mg (9% DV) per 39 g serving for Froot Loops and 190 mg (8% DV) per 37 g serving for Frosted Flakes. Iron is 4.5 mg (25% DV) per 39 g serving for Froot Loops and 7.2 mg (40% DV) per 37 g serving for Frosted Flakes. Potassium is 60 mg per 39 g serving for Froot Loops and 30 mg per 37 g serving for Frosted Flakes.

Froot Loops also lists 1.5 g of total fat and 0.5 g of saturated fat, with 0 g trans fat, per 39 g serving. Frosted Flakes lists 0 g of total fat and 0 g of saturated fat per 37 g serving. Both list 2 g of protein and 2 mcg of vitamin D per serving. For your own portion size and daily totals, use the Nutrition Facts panel on the box you are holding.

Why Do Froot Loops Have Dyes While Frosted Flakes Do Not?

The product pages do not explain the formulation choices behind these labels, and the reasons were not disclosed. What the labels do show is that Froot Loops names four certified color additives, while Frosted Flakes names none.

For readers who want to see how colors are named on scanned packages, Color Added vs Named Colors: 6 Scanned Labels Without FD&C Dyes walks through the difference.

Which natural colors WK Kellogg may use to replace the certified dyes was not disclosed. For background on one natural color used in some snack and cheese products, see Annatto: The Seed Color in Cheese and Snacks.

Do Synthetic Food Dyes Affect Children?

The FDA says the totality of evidence indicates most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives. The agency also says some evidence suggests certain children may be sensitive to them. Parents who wish to limit color additives can check ingredient lists.

How Can You Spot Dyes, BHT and Hydrogenated Oil on a Cereal Label?

A quick label check can answer most of the questions in this comparison:

• Look for certified color names in the ingredient list, such as Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 or Yellow 6.
• Check whether the ingredient list includes a vegetable oil and the type named, such as hydrogenated coconut, soybean or cottonseed oil.
• Look for a BHT statement on the packaging or product page, because BHT may appear there rather than in the ingredient list.
• Read the serving size before comparing calories, sugar, sodium or iron.
• Read the allergen statement, which can say whether wheat is present.
• Compare the SmartLabel or manufacturer page with the printed box, since labels can be updated.

Where Can You Read More on Food Dyes and Additive Labels?

The FDA's consumer pages are the most direct starting point. Color Additives Questions and Answers for Consumers explains the certification and labeling rules, and the FDA tracker on food industry pledges lists company commitments and their status.

For the cereal label facts in this article, the manufacturer SmartLabel pages and product pages are the primary references. Check them directly, because ingredient lists and reformulation plans can change.

Scan the box in front of you with the Aurascan app to see each ingredient, including the dyes, explained one by one with cited sources.