GLENDALE, CALIF. — Nestle USA, the maker of such confectionery brands as Nestle Crunch, Butterfinger and Baby Ruth, said it will remove all flavors perceived as artificial and Food and Drug Administration-certified colors from all of its chocolate candy products by the end of 2015. Products will begin appearing on retail shelves by the middle of the year and carry the claim “No artificial colors or flavors” on each product’s label.
“We know that candy consumers are interested in broader food trends around fewer artificial ingredients,” said Doreen Ida, president of Nestle USA Confections & Snacks. “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.”
Some product formulation changes will include using annatto instead of Red 40 and Yellow 5 in Butterfinger products, and replacing artificial vanillin in Crunch products and replacing it with natural vanillin.
Going forward, all newly launched chocolate and non-chocolate candy products (gummies, sours, etc.) introduced by Nestle USA will be made without artificial flavors or colors, said Leslie Mohr, nutrition, health and wellness manager for Nestle Confectionery and Snacks. Additionally, Nestle USA is pursuing the removal of caramel coloring from its chocolate products. Caramel coloring is an exempt-from-certification color additive, which is used in only 9 of the more than 250 chocolate products.
