Consumers have spoken, and the health revolution is set to hit the candy industry.
Nestlé USA said Tuesday it will remove artificial flavors and colors from its chocolate products — including your Butterfingers, Crunch and Baby Ruth bars — by the end of the year. Nestlé will be the first candy manufacturer in the U.S. to remove artificial ingredients in its existing products, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“We know that candy consumers are interested in broader food trends around fewer artificial ingredients,” said Doreen Ida, president of confections and snacks, in a statement.
But the move could get Nestlé into a sticky situation as it attempts to maintain its candies’ flavor and cost while switching their 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,” Ida continued. For example, annatto, a type of seed, will replace Red 40 and Yellow 5 in Butterfingers, while natural vanilla flavor will swap in for artificial vanillin in Crunch bars.
Nielsen’s 2014 Global Health & Wellness Survey showed that 60% of Americans cited the importance of buying foods without artificial colors or flavors.
“We’re excited to be the first major U.S. candy manufacturer to make this commitment,” Ida said.
