Nestle confirmed this week that it will become the first major candy maker to get rid of all artificial colors and flavors from its line of chocolate products. The company’s executives believes consumers will not be able to tell the difference.
The move, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, will affect 250 products from 10 of its brands, including Butterfinger, Nestle Crunch, Oh Henry, Baby Ruth and 100 Grand. These products will be marketed with the words “No Artificial Flavors or Colors.”
What exactly will Nestle put in its chocolate bars? Well, for instance, Butterfinger bars’ crunchy centers will be colored by annatto, a seed originated in the fruit from the achiote tree. This would replace dyes Red 40 and Yellow 5. Another example would be its Crunch bars, which would consist of natural vanilla flavor instead of artificial vanilla.
“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, in a statement.
“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.”
It isn’t exactly clear as to why Nestle made the sudden move, but it is widely known that consumers are increasingly wary of various chemicals and artificial ingredients found in soda pop, candy bars and fast-food.
According to a report released last year, consumers, who happen to place the content labeling under intense scrutiny at the grocery store, are willing to pay more for products with natural ingredients. At a time when obesity is prevalent and organic products are gaining steam, we may seem more companies embrace this trend.
Nestle isn’t the only company to eliminate its artificial flavoring and coloring.
Last year, Kraft announced it would be removing artificial preservatives from its ultra popular individually wrapped cheese slices.
Also, as we reported in December, Hershey noted it would do away with high-fructose corn syrup in favor of actual sugar.
It may appear that the educated consumer is changing the food and beverage landscape.
