Delafield, WI — Matt Keepman, managing partner of Mullen’s Dairy Bar, has announced a significant change to the ice cream served at the family-owned business: the removal of all artificial food coloring from their products. The decision, which was implemented over the past few months, aims to eliminate the use of synthetic dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1, which Keepman and his wife had long avoided in their own home due to concerns over potential health effects, particularly on children.
“We don’t allow these artificial dyes in our home; we don’t serve them to our kids,” Keepman said. “So how can we, in good conscience, sell it to thousands of children all over the state?”
The change was announced by Keepman on Facebook Tuesday, where he explained that the switch was motivated by concerns over the neurobehavioral effects food dyes can have on children and teens — Mullen’s most loyal customers. Keepman also applauded Tonya Morris, the company’s production manager, for spearheading the initiative.
“This was a no-brainer for the Mullen’s team,” Keepman wrote. “We’d like to applaud Tonya Morris for driving this change. Food dyes can have adverse effects, and as parents, we want to make sure we’re doing right by our young customers.”
While the transition began in the spring, Mullen’s Dairy Bar held off on the public announcement until the summer rush had subsided and inventory had cleared from grocery store shelves. According to Keepman, the process involved not only removing artificial dyes from the ice cream itself but also updating nutritional labels to reflect the change.
Despite the dyes being removed from the ice cream for the past couple of months, Keepman chose to wait until now to ensure all products with the old labels had been sold. The company is also planning to review ice cream add-ins, which may still contain artificial colors, as part of their ongoing efforts to go completely dye-free.
Support for the move has been overwhelmingly positive, with many parents praising the business for its commitment to healthier, more natural ingredients. Bri Coleman, a customer from Illinois, shared her excitement on Facebook, writing, “Considering making a trip from IL to WI just to try this ice cream because removing artificial dyes from my child’s food is so important.”
Tom Fritz, another supporter, added, “Awesome! Those dyes don’t just affect children, they’re harmful to everyone.”
For Keepman, the change hasn’t been difficult to implement. “These aren’t big changes to make, but they have a big impact,” he said. “It’s about doing the right thing for our customers and our community.”
Mullen’s Dairy Bar, which has locations in Delafield, Oconomowoc, and Watertown, as well as a presence in local grocery stores, is committed to continuing its journey toward offering healthier options. Keepman and his team are focused on systematically eliminating artificial dyes and other potentially harmful ingredients from their products, with future plans to review the ingredients in their ice cream add-ins.
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