NESTLE USA WILL REMOVE ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS AND COLORS FROM ITS PRODUCTS

Glendale, Calif.–based Nestlé USA will remove artificial flavors and FDA-certified colors, like Red 40 and Yellow 5, from all of its chocolate candy products by the end of 2015.

The first major U.S. candy manufacturer to make such a commitment, Nestle’s decision impacts more than 250 products and 10 brands including Nestle, Butterfinger, Crunch and Baby Ruth. The reformulated products will begin appearing on store shelves by mid-2015, and will be identified by a “No Artificial Flavors or Colors” claim featured on-pack.

“Nestlé is the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company and our commitment to remove artificial flavors and certified colors in our chocolate candy brands is an important milestone,” said Doreen Ida, president, Nestlé USA Confections & Snacks. “We know that candy consumers are interested in broader food trends around fewer artificial ingredients. As we thought about what this means for our candy brands, our first step has been to remove artificial flavors and colors without affecting taste or increasing the price. We’re excited to be the first major U.S. candy manufacturer to make this commitment.”

According to Ida, Nestlé USA conducted research indicating that U.S. consumers prefer candy brands to be free from artificial flavors and colors. Further, findings from Nielsen’s 2014 Global Health & Wellness Survey show more than 60 percent of Americans say “no artificial colors or flavors” is important to their food purchase decisions.

Nestle intends to replace the artificial colors and flavors with ingredients from natural sources. For example, in Butterfinger bars, annato, which comes from the seeds found in the fruit from the achiote tree, will replace Red 40 and Yellow 5. In Crunch, natural vanilla flavor will replace artificial vanillin.

“We never compromise on taste. When making these changes to more than 75 recipes, maintaining the great taste and appearance consumers expect from the chocolate brands they know and love is our number-one priority,” said Leslie Mohr, nutrition, health and wellness manager, Nestlé Confections & Snacks. “We conducted consumer testing to ensure the new recipe delivers on our high standards for taste and appearance.”

Going forward, all newly launched chocolate and non-chocolate candy products (gummies, sours, etc.) introduced by Nestlé USA will be made without artificial flavors or colors. Additionally, Nestlé USA is actively pursuing the removal of caramel coloring from its chocolate products. Caramel coloring is an exempt-from-certification color additive, which is used in only nine of the brand’s more than 250 chocolate products.