Nestlé USA To Drop All Artificial Colors And Flavors In Their Chocolate By The End Of 2015

Nestlé USA is gearing up to remove all artificial colors and flavors from its chocolate candy products — which span more than 250 products and 10 brands — by the end of 2015, the company announced in a press release.

By mid-2015, select products will be identified by a "no artificial flavors or colors" sticker.

Nestlé products that will undergo the natural treatment include Butterfinger, in which Red 40 and Yellow 5 dyes will be replaced with annatto seeds, and Crunch bars, in which natural vanilla will replace artificial vanillin.  

Other items that will be affected by the change — though not in taste, Nestlé promises — include Baby Ruth, Skinny Cow, Raisinets, Sno Caps, Oh Henry, and Chunky, among others. What's more, the company has pledged that all newly launched chocolate and candy products will be made without artificial flavors or colors. The company is also "actively pursuing the removal of caramel food coloring," used in nine of its more than 250 chocolate products.

"We know that candy consumers are interested in broader food trends around fewer artificial ingredients," said Doreen Ida, president of Nestlé USA Confections and 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."