Chocolate Makeover: Nestle Dumps Artificial Colorings
Some of America's most popular chocolate bars — including the Baby Ruth and the Butterfinger — are about to get an ingredient makeover. Nestle USA announced it is removing artificial flavors and colorings from all of its chocolate candy products by the end of 2015.
The move entails changes to about 75 recipes, including the reformulation of the Butterfinger. Know that orange hue that colors the crunchy center of the bar? Currently, that color is made by combining the synthetic dye Red 40 with Yellow 5.
But these dyes will be replaced with a natural coloring called annatto.
Annatto is a natural colorant derived from the seeds of the fruit of the achiote tree. It will soon be used to color Butterfingers.
"Annatto is a natural colorant that comes from the seeds [found in the fruit from the achiote] tree that grows in the sub-tropic region," explains Leslie Mohr, the nutrition, health and wellness manager for Nestle Confections & Snacks.
Nestle points to its own brand research, as well as Nielsen's 2014 Global Health and Wellness Survey, showing that the issue of artificial flavors and colors is on the radar of many Americans.
"Consumers have been telling us that artificial colors and flavors are becoming a decision factor when they're making food purchases," Mohr says.
As we've reported, artificial food dyes have been controversial. Some parents, including the sponsor of a petition aimed at getting dyes out of candies, believe that artificial colorings in food can contribute to hyperactivity in their children.
But the evidence to back this claim is mixed. "I think there's a growing body of research that shows that artificial food colorings can affect a child's behavior," Andrew Adesman, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told us. "On the other hand, these effects are relatively modest."
(From left) Nestle Crunch, Baby Ruth and Butterfinger.
And, he adds, there's no evidence that artificial dyes pose long-term safety or health risks.
Adesman says it's good that the food industry is giving parents more options to buy products that are free of these artificial ingredients. But he points out that eliminating artificial dyes does not turn chocolate bars into health foods.
"They [can be] high in fat and in sugar," Adesman says — two things many of us could stand to cut back on.
Update 11:45 a.m.: Nestle isn't the only chocolate giant remaking its candies. On Wednesday, Hershey announced it would reformulate its candies to use simpler ingredients that are easy to understand — "like fresh milk from local farms, roasted California almonds, cocoa beans and sugar—ingredients you recognize," the company said in a statement.
The company did not offer a timeframe for making the switch.
"This is a journey and it will take time," Hershey President and CEO John Bilbrey said in the statement. "We are equally committed to sharing what we achieve and what we don't. For ingredients that may not be as simple, we will explain what they are and why we need them to provide the great flavors, aromas, textures and appearances that our consumers know and love."
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Transcript
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Some of America's most popular chocolate bars - your Baby Ruths and Butterfingers - are about to get an ingredient makeover. Food giant Nestle says it is removing artificial flavors and coloring from all of its chocolate candy products in the U.S. And as NPR's Allison Aubrey reports, the move is part of a broader push by food companies to meet the growing demand for natural ingredients.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: If you're someone who's begun scanning the fine print of food labels and wondering what exactly is red dye number 40, and why is it in my food? You're not alone. Rene Shutters, who's the mom of two kids, realized just how many people were concerned about artificial colorings when she started a petition asking candy makers to take them out.
RENE SHUTTERS: There was a lot. I mean, I was really surprised.
AUBREY: She got more than 100,000 signatures, many coming from parents like her who believe artificial food dyes contribute to their kids' hyperactive behavior.
SHUTTERS: And a lot of people are just, like, why does it have to be artificial dyes? Why can't you use the natural colors? It doesn't change the product.
AUBREY: It seems that big food companies have been listening to these concerns. Nestle, which is one of the largest food companies in the world, has announced that it's reformulating 75 recipes, removing artificial flavors and colorings from all of its chocolate candy products. Here's Nestle's Leslie Mohr.
LESLIE MOHR: Well, consumers have been telling us, even recently in some market research, that artificial colors and flavors are becoming a decision factor when they're making food purchases.
AUBREY: So what kind of makeover will the Butterfinger candy bar get? Well, Mohr says its bright colored filling, which is currently made with a mix of red dye number 40 and yellow number five, will be replaced with a natural coloring called annatto.
MOHR: Annatto is a common, natural colorant that comes from the seeds of a tree that grows in the sub-tropic region.
AUBREY: And Mohr says the goal is to have all of Nestle's chocolates reformulated by the end of the year. So how significant is this move to toss out artificial coloring? Well, pediatrician Andrew Adesman, who's a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, says he sees Nestle's move as a positive step, following in the footsteps of other big food companies, such as Kraft, that have moved towards more natural colorings.
ANDREW ADESMAN: There have been long-standing concerns that artificial food coloring might affect children's behavior. And there's indeed some research that suggests that it can have modest effects.
AUBREY: At least among kids who are sensitive or already prone to hyperactive behavior - now, some studies suggest that kids with ADHD may do better when they cut back on all processed foods, including ones with artificial food colors. So Adesman says an important point here is that just removing artificial colors from candy bars does not turn them into health food.
ADESMAN: They may be high in fat and high in sugar.
AUBREY: Two things that many kids may be better off eating less of. Allison Aubrey, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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