
Doritos and Cheetos are getting a makeover.
PepsiCo said Thursday it’s launching toned-down versions of its bright orange snacks that won't have any artificial colors or flavors. Doritos and Cheetos Simply NKD will hit store shelves on Dec. 1.
It’s part of a broader shift underway at PepsiCo, which announced in April that it would accelerate a planned transition to using natural colors in its foods and beverages. Around 40% of its U.S. products now contain synthetic dyes, according to the company.
Dye-free doesn’t mean Doritos and Cheetos Simply NKD will be colorless. Instead, they’re just a lighter color, like a tortilla chip.
Many other big food companies, including Kraft Heinz and General Mills, have made similar pledges. They're feeling pressure from federal regulators and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who are urging companies to eliminate synthetic food dyes by next year.
States have also been taking action. Texas recently passed a law requiring warning labels for foods that contain artificial ingredients. Other states are moving to ban or restrict synthetic dyes.
PepsiCo has sold Simply brand Doritos and Cheetos without artificial dyes since 2002. But those products aren’t designed to taste like the original chips.
The Simply NKD versions are supposed to taste like the originals. But unlike the originals, they don’t contain petroleum-based dyes. They also have shorter ingredient lists.
For example, Simply NKD Doritos and Simply NKD Cheetos don’t contain the flavor-enhancing additives disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, which are found in the original versions.
“We’re turning expectations upside down — removing artificial colors, not the flavor — and proving that unforgettable taste can be colorless,” said Rachel Ferdinando, the CEO of PepsiCo Foods U.S., in a statement.
PepsiCo said the Simply NKD line will include flavors like Cool Ranch Doritos and Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The chips will cost the same as original varieties.
The company said original Doritos and Cheetos will also remain on the market.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Vote in favor of your Number one kind of juice - 2
Astrophotographer captures spectacular photo of Antennae Galaxies dueling in deep space - 3
These 3 Nail-Free Finds Completely Transformed My Drab Bathroom - 4
Lilly, Novo lock horns in India's obesity drug race - 5
The Response to Fake General Knowledge: Investigating the Eventual fate of artificial intelligence
The teen queen bee of 'Laguna Beach' is now a 'cringey' mom
Key Little Things That Advantage Old People
4 Creative Savvy Home Gadgets of 2024: Reforming Home Robotization and Security
ABC News' Sam Champion opens up about recent health scare
Simple Consideration Plants for Home and Office: An Aide
A quick recap of 'Stranger Things' Seasons 1-4, plus key episodes to rewatch before Volume 1 of the final season drops
ADHD drugs work, but not the way experts thought
Tributes pour in for MIT professor Nuno Loureiro amid unresolved shooting case
Arctic sea ice hits lowest winter level as unprecedented heat hits smashes records all over Earth












