Does Fruity Pebbles Have Red 40? Fruity Pebbles vs Lucky Charms

The Fruity Pebbles brand page lists Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and BHT, while the Lucky Charms Jumbo Rainbow limited edition lists natural colors and vitamin E instead, and both cereals show 12g of added sugars per 1 cup (36g).

Key takeaways

• Fruity Pebbles' brand page lists Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and BHT in its ingredient list.
• The Lucky Charms Jumbo Rainbow limited edition lists 'Color (vegetable and fruit juice, carmine, spirulina extract, turmeric oleoresin, paprika oleoresin and other color added)' instead of the four certified dyes. The core box was not disclosed on the labels cited here.
• Both cereals show 140 calories and 12g added sugars per 1 cup (36g) on the labels cited.
• On August 26, 2026, General Mills said its US cereals are now made without certified colors and that 90% of its US retail portfolio has shed certified colors. The company is on track to remove them from all US retail products by the end of 2027.
• The older 38 oz Fruity Pebbles label on Open Food Facts listed BHT and BHA, while the current brand page lists BHT only. The box in hand is the best check.

Fruity Pebbles vs Lucky Charms at a Glance: Dyes, Sugar, and BHT in One Table

The table lists the figures printed on the labels cited in this article. Where a label did not disclose a value, the table says so instead of filling the gap.

Factor	Fruity Pebbles (brand page)	Lucky Charms pre-reformulation (OFF)	Lucky Charms Jumbo Rainbow (limited edition)
Red 40	Listed	Listed	Not listed
Yellow 5	Listed	Listed	Not listed
Yellow 6	Listed	Listed	Not listed
Blue 1	Listed	Listed	Not listed
Other colors	Turmeric oleoresin (color)	Not separately listed	Vegetable and fruit juice, carmine, spirulina extract, turmeric oleoresin, paprika oleoresin
BHT	Listed (added to preserve freshness)	Not listed on cited label	Not listed on cited label
Other preservative	Not stated separately	Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) added to preserve freshness	Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) added to preserve freshness
Calories per 1 cup (36g)	140	140	140
Total fat	1.5g	1.5g	Not disclosed
Total carbohydrates	31g	30g	Not disclosed
Dietary fiber	0g	2g	Not disclosed
Total sugars	12g	12g	Not disclosed
Added sugars	12g (25% DV)	12g	Not disclosed
Protein	1g	3g	Not disclosed
Sodium	190mg (8% DV)	Not disclosed	Not disclosed

The pre-reformulation Lucky Charms column comes from an Open Food Facts entry (0016000123991). The Jumbo Rainbow column comes from the limited edition product page. Those are different packages, so read the two Lucky Charms columns as separate examples rather than as one product.

Which Dyes Are Listed on Fruity Pebbles and Lucky Charms Labels Today?

Yes, Fruity Pebbles still lists Red 40. The current brand page places Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1 under 'Contains 1% or less of,' alongside natural and artificial flavor, turmeric oleoresin (color) and BHT.

The pre-reformulation Lucky Charms label cited here is an Open Food Facts entry (0016000123991). It lists Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40 and Blue 1 in its ingredient list. The Jumbo Rainbow limited edition on the brand site does not list those four certified dyes. Its color line reads 'Color (vegetable and fruit juice, carmine, spirulina extract, turmeric oleoresin, paprika oleoresin and other color added).' General Mills has not published the reformulated core-box ingredient list on its site, so the older Open Food Facts list should be read as the pre-reformulation label, not as what a new box says. Which natural color each marshmallow uses was not disclosed either.

What the Color Wording Means on a Label

FDA says certified color additives must be listed by name on labels, such as FD&C Blue No. 1 or Blue 1. Exempt colors can be grouped under wording such as 'color added,' with the exception of carmine and cochineal extract, which must be named because of potential allergic reactions. A label that says 'color added' therefore does not tell you which source was used, and a named FD&C dye does tell you that a certified color is present. FDA also says FD&C Red No. 40 is approved for use in cereal, and that most children have no adverse effects from color additives, though some evidence suggests certain children may be sensitive to them.

What Did General Mills Say About Removing Certified Colors?

General Mills said on August 26, 2026 (Food Business News) that it is now producing all of its US cereals, including Lucky Charms and Trix, without certified (FD&C) colors. The company said 90% of its US retail portfolio has shed certified colors and that it remains on track to remove them from all US retail products, including fruit snacks and baking items, by the end of 2027.

For Lucky Charms, the replacement visible on the brand site is the color line in the Jumbo Rainbow limited edition. That edition shows 140 calories per 1 cup and 11 servings per container. It is a limited edition, not the core box, so it should not be read as a description of every Lucky Charms package.

How Much Added Sugar Is in Fruity Pebbles vs Lucky Charms per 1 Cup (36g)?

Both cereals list 12g of added sugars per 1 cup (36g) on the labels cited here. Both labels also show 140 calories for that serving. The Fruity Pebbles label lists 12g of total sugars, all of it added, and marks that amount as 25% of the Daily Value. The cited Lucky Charms label lists 12g of total sugars and 12g of added sugars.

FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 grams per day based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Because the two labels use the same 36g serving, the comparison is direct on the printed numbers. Serving sizes are set by each label, and a bowl may hold more or less than 1 cup, so the Nutrition Facts panel on your box is the reference for your own pour.

For the ingredient lists on the cited labels, Fruity Pebbles lists rice first and sugar second, and the cited Lucky Charms label lists whole grain oats first and sugar second. For a related comparison of sugar and dyes in another cereal pair, see Frosted Flakes vs Froot Loops: Same 12 g Sugar, 4 Dyes vs 0.

Does Fruity Pebbles Contain BHT, and Is Lucky Charms Listing BHT Today?

Yes, the current Fruity Pebbles brand page lists BHT only, described on the label as 'added to preserve freshness.' The older 38 oz Fruity Pebbles label on Open Food Facts listed BHT and BHA. The amount of BHT in Fruity Pebbles was not disclosed.

Federal rules set a ceiling. Under 21 CFR 172.115, BHT alone or combined with BHA in dry breakfast cereals is limited to 50 ppm total. That is the legal limit, not a measured level in any specific box.

The Lucky Charms labels cited here do not list BHT. The pre-reformulation label lists vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) added to preserve freshness, and the Jumbo Rainbow edition lists the same preservative. Whether the core Lucky Charms box lists BHT today was not disclosed on the labels cited here, so the printed ingredient list on that box is the most reliable check.

What Has FDA Said About Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1?

On April 22, 2025, HHS and FDA announced measures to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes, including working with industry to eliminate FD&C Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6 and Blue No. 1 from the food supply by the end of 2026, along with Green No. 3 and Blue No. 2.

Company commitments vary. The CSPI synthetic dyes corporate commitment tracker, dated August 10, 2026, lists Post Holdings, which includes the PEBBLES brand, as 'No plan' for phasing out synthetic dyes. For General Mills, the tracker lists all products, with cereals by summer 2026 and all products by the end of 2027. No Post or Pebbles dye removal date was disclosed.

Who Should Read These Labels Most Closely, and What Was Not Disclosed?

Readers who check dye listings for their family, who follow ingredient lists for personal reasons, or who want to compare packages across brands may find these details useful. The main differences on the cited labels are the named dyes, the preservative line and the naming of colors.

The following details were not disclosed on the labels or pages cited in this article:

• The exact ingredient list and sodium content of the reformulated core Lucky Charms box.
• Which natural colors each Lucky Charms marshmallow now uses.
• Sodium for Lucky Charms, since the Open Food Facts values are inconsistent.
• Any Post or Pebbles dye removal date.
• Whether older Lucky Charms boxes with FD&C dyes are still on shelves.
• The amount of BHT in Fruity Pebbles.

How to Check the Dye and Preservative Listing on Your Own Cereal Box

The quickest way to compare is to read the ingredient list on the box in front of you. Use this checklist:

• Find the 'Contains 1% or less of' line. Dyes and BHT often appear there on Fruity Pebbles.
• Look for named dyes such as 'Red 40' or 'FD&C Red No. 40' versus general wording such as 'color added' or a list of natural sources.
• Check the preservative phrase for BHT, BHA or mixed tocopherols.
• Confirm the product name and size. Limited editions may list different colors from the core box.
• Compare the serving size on the Nutrition Facts panel with the bowl you pour, and read the added sugars line and its Daily Value.
• Note the package date and variety, since older labels may still be in stores.

For more on how color wording works, see Color Added vs Named Colors: 6 Scanned Labels Without FD&C Dyes.

If you want to check a box yourself, you can scan its label with the Aurascan app, which explains each ingredient one by one with cited evidence rather than a single score.