Swiss food giant Nestlé commits to removing all artificial flavors and colors from its chocolate products in the U.S. by the end of 2015
Nestlé USA recently announced its commitment to removing artificial flavors and FDA-certified colors, like Red 40 and Yellow 5, from all of its chocolate candy products. By the end of 2015, more than 250 products and 10 brands including NESTLÉ® BUTTERFINGER®, CRUNCH® and BABY RUTH® will be free of artificial flavors and certified colors. 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.
According to Doreen Ida, president of Nestlé USA Confections & Snacks, Nestlé USA conducted research on brands like BUTTERFINGER®, which indicates that U.S. consumers prefer candy brands they know and love to be free from artificial flavors and colors. Further, findings from Nielsen’s 2014 Global Health & Wellness Survey show more than 60% of Americans say no artificial colors or flavors is important to their food purchase decisions.
Nestlé USA reports they are removing artificial flavors and colors, and replacing them with ingredients from natural sources. For example, in the BUTTERFINGER® crispety, crunchety center, annatto, 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 #1 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.”
According to Mohr, this change affects Nestlé’s current portfolio of chocolate brands including NESTLE® CRUNCH®, BUTTERFINGER®, BABY RUTH®, SKINNY COW®, RAISINETS®, GOOBERS®, SNO CAPS®, 100 GRAND®, OH HENRY® and CHUNKY®. 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 more than 250 chocolate products.
As noted in my book Beyond The Mediterranean Diet: European Secrets Of The Super-Healthy, several of these artificial ingredients are already banned in many European countries and other parts of the world. Back in 2012, Nestlé became the first major confectioner to remove artificial colors, flavors and preservatives from 79 products in the UK. The U.S. is always last on the list for these sorts of changes because of the easing of oversight requirements for big food corporations. That’s why it’s so important for consumers to speak up and sign petitions!
With over 2000 brands worldwide, Nestlé is the largest food company in the world. Maybe we can influence Nestlé to remove the artificial dyes and flavors from all of its food products. And while they are at it, how about reducing the sugar and fat, and instead adding more cocoa to Nestlé chocolate—and going organic and GMO-free.
Am I asking for too much?