The “Make America Healthy Again” movement has gained traction as popular food companies such as PepsiCo debut new products that do not use artificial colors and flavors.
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released a plan in April that pledged to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes, including Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, from the nation’s food supply by 2027-2028.
“No color, no artificial flavors, same intensity — that’s Simply NKD [pronounced “naked”]. Doritos and Cheetos are pioneering a snacking revolution, or a renaissance, if you will,” PepsiCo chief marketing officer Hernán Tantardini said in a statement, adding that the company is “reinventing” its most iconic brands.
In its statement, PepsiCo said the “Simply NKD” products will be available in Doritos Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch flavors, as well as Cheetos Puffs and Flamin’ Hot flavors, and will be a pale yellow color mirroring that of tortilla chips.
PepsiCo has followed the lead of other major food companies, such as Kraft Heinz and the International Dairy Foods Association, in eliminating or offering alternative products that do not contain the dyes.
Walmart announced in October it would remove synthetic dyes and more than 30 other ingredients — such as certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and fat substitutes — from its U.S. private brand foods, including Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed, and bettergoods.
The IDFA said in July that it would remove all petroleum-based dyes from its products.
“I applaud the International Dairy Foods Association for stepping up to eliminate certified artificial colors. The American people have made it clear—they want real food, not chemicals, Kennedy said alongside Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. “We’re holding the food industry accountable and driving a nationwide effort to Make America Healthy Again.”
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A month before the IDFA’s announcement, Kraft Heinz and General Mills stated that artificial colors would be removed from grade school foods by the summer of 2025, followed by their removal from all foods by 2027.
“We’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio.… Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don’t take lightly,” President of Kraft Heinz, North America, Pedro Navio said in his announcement.
