Consumers in greater numbers have turned to foods that have no artificial flavors or colors. Some major manufacturers followed suit with versions of their products without artificial ingredients. One candy maker has joined the all-natural crusade after listening to what consumers want.
Nestlé USA announced in February 2015 that by the end of the year, all of its products would no longer have artificial flavors or coloring. Some items will appear on store shelves in mid-2015. FDA-approved certified colors such as Red 40 and Yellow 5 are no longer part of Nestlé's repertoire. The company claims to be the first major U.S. candy manufacturer to embrace all-natural ingredients.
Nestlé cites consumer preferences, including Nielsen’s 2014 Global Health & Wellness Survey, that show a majority of Americans make purchasing decisions based on artificial flavors and colors. As many as 60 percent of Nielsen respondents said a lack of artificial ingredients is important to their spending habits.
The manufacturer also believes broader trends move toward fewer artificial flavors and colors. Nestlé claims these new ingredients will not affect the taste or price of products. The move can boost companies that specialize in natural food ingredients. When larger manufacturers demand certain raw materials, suppliers increase their productivity. This extra productivity and increased demand lowers prices once suppliers get moving on more deliveries. Growers of these natural ingredients also stand to benefit with greater sales over the long term. The entire health food industry, from growers to manufacturers, just got a major economic endorsement due to Nestlé's product reboot.
Natural ingredients open new ways for food manufacturers to produce items that are perceived to be better for consumers. For example, manufacturers have realized that entire manufacturing plants do not have to contain only gluten-free ingredients to make these types of products. Instead, certification organizations tout cleaning and sterilizing procedures for equipment before the start of gluten-free production runs in facilities that make regular foods that contain gluten. These foods were responsible for $4.2 billion in revenue in 2012, and some of that can be attributed to a perception that gluten-free foods are healthier.
Nutritionists and doctors applaud Nestlé's decision, even though candy is not necessarily a health food. Studies on the use of artificial dyes and chemically created flavors in foods have been mixed as to their health benefits and detriments. Some interest groups for parents believe artificial ingredients can cause hyperactivity in children.
Hershey followed Nestlé's lead by announcing it would remake many of its ingredients by using fresh, locally produced milk along with California almonds, cocoa beans and sugar. These ingredients mark a shift away from more complicated ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup and flavor extracts.
Removing artificial flavors and certified colors from candy may not solve America's obesity epidemic. However, Nestlé emerged as an industry leader as soon as it announced all-natural foods were on the way. Producers, suppliers and growers of raw ingredients should take note and prepare for the future.
Photo courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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