Magically delicious cereal maker General Mills will take some of the mystery out of its ingredients as the Lucky Charms and Trix purveyor said June 22 that it will remove artificial flavors and colors from its cereals by 2017.

Ketchum is aiding GM on the PR front with the decision, which GM said was hastened by consumer demand and follows revenue declines in the segment.

The Minneapolis-based food purveyor, which owns brands from Cheerios to Betty Crocker, lowered the sugar content in its cereals in 2007 amid the growing childhood obesity epidemic. The latest change will see more than 90 percent of its cereals made without artificial colors and flavors by the end of 2016.

“We’ve continued to listen to consumers who want to see more recognizable and familiar ingredients on the labels and challenged ourselves to remove barriers that prevent adults and children from enjoying our cereals," said GM cereals division president Jim Murphy. He added in a blog post that "these [artificial] ingredients are not what people are looking for in their cereal today."

GM's Trix and Reese's Puffs brands will be the first to be colored and flavored with vegetable and fruit juices, as well as spice extracts. Cereals like Lucky Charms are expected to take longer and GM's suggestion that it does not yet have the details of the ingredients worked out shows the urgency in the move. Said GM cereal developer Kate Gallager: “We have a lot of hard work ahead of us and we know some products will present challenges as we strive to uphold the taste, quality and fun in every spoonful of cereal."

Confectioner Nestle said in February it would nix artificial colorings in its candy bars by the end of the year, a decision followed by Hershey's vow to use "ingredients you recognize."

GM is already under the gun for trans fats, which have been banned by the FDA by 2018 and are used in its Pillsbury and Betty Crocker brands.