Nestlé announced Monday that it has eliminated artificial colors from all of its food and beverage products sold in the United States, completing a pledge the company made last year.
The company said the decision reflects its effort to respond to changing consumer expectations around ingredients, transparency, and food quality.
“Consumers expect more choice, more transparency, and products they can feel good about,” Nestlé USA CEO Marty Thompson said in a statement. “We will keep evolving in ways that matter to them, while strengthening trust in our brands and offering high-quality food and beverages.”
Nestlé had pledged in June 2025 to remove all Food, Drug & Cosmetic colors, commonly known as FD&C colors, from its American food and beverage portfolio by mid-2026.
“Eliminating FD&C colors from our portfolio is one more way we continue to meet those expectations while delivering the quality people know and expect from Nestlé USA,” Thompson said.
The announcement follows growing pressure on food companies to phase out synthetic dyes and other controversial additives.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised Nestlé in a social media post Thursday.
“Thank you, @nestle, for eliminating synthetic dyes from your products,” Kennedy wrote on Instagram. “Nestlé stepped up and delivered. Now it’s time for every food company operating in America to do the same and help Make America Healthy Again.”
Kennedy has made food additives a central focus of his public health agenda, telling major food company executives last year that he wanted to remove what he described as “the worst ingredients” from the American food supply.
A Washington Post/KFF survey published in October 2025 found that most American parents supported stronger government regulation of food dyes, chemical additives, highly processed foods and added sugars.
Nestlé is not alone in its shift away from the synthetic.
Kraft Heinz announced in June 2025 that it would remove chemical food dyes from its products by 2027. Several American ice cream brands have also pledged to eliminate artificial dyes such as Red 40 from ice creams and frozen dairy products by 2028.
The food industry has increasingly responded to both consumer demand and political pressure by reformulating products, particularly those marketed to children.
Supporters of the shift argue that companies should not wait for federal mandates to remove ingredients that many consumers no longer want in their food. Critics caution that some reformulations may raise costs or alter products for the worst.
Nestlé’s decision also comes as it is pursuing broader cost-cutting measures. In October 2025, Nestlé announced plans to eliminate roughly 16,000 jobs globally over two years as part of an effort to reduce expenses.
The company is framing the dye removal as part of a long-term effort to maintain consumer trust in a rapidly changing food market.
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