As consumer preferences shift toward healthier options, leading food manufacturers are eliminating a wide range of additives, including preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, sugars, and trans fats. These components are essential for defining taste, appearance, and shelf life. However, as companies revamp their ingredient lists, they must tread carefully to ensure they do not strip away the characteristics that consumers love about their products, as doing so could irreparably harm brand loyalty and result in lost market share to competitors.
Once a company decides to reformulate a product, it faces the challenging task of executing this process, which can be time-consuming and costly. They also need to strategize on how to communicate these changes to the public. Should they be transparent about the upcoming modifications or quietly implement the changes and only announce them once the new product is established in the market?
Food Dive reached out to several major food companies that have recently revamped their iconic products to learn about their rollout experiences, customer reactions, and outreach strategies. For instance, when Nestlé pledged in February 2015 to eliminate artificial colors and flavors from its chocolate candies by year’s end, it made a public announcement, claiming to be the first manufacturer to do so. The Swiss company, known for popular treats like Crunch and Baby Ruth, substituted Red 40 and Yellow 5 in its Butterfinger with annatto, a natural food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree, and replaced artificial vanillin in its Crunch bar with the authentic ingredient.
“We understand that candy consumers are increasingly interested in food trends that focus on fewer artificial ingredients,” stated Doreen Ida, president of Nestlé USA Confections & Snacks, during the announcement. “Our initial step was to eliminate artificial flavors and colors without compromising on taste or increasing costs.”
Nestlé’s significant move impressed both the public and industry experts, who viewed the company as responsive to the rising consumer demand for natural ingredients. “Nestlé’s announcement is a smart approach,” commented Joseph Downing, head of the U.S. Food & Beverage practice at investment bank Alantra. “They’re essentially saying, ‘Dear consumers, we recognize your preference for natural, clean-label ingredients, and we’ve committed to reformulating over the next few years.’ It’s a positive narrative.”
In December 2016, Nestlé took an additional step by revealing that it had developed a natural method to restructure sugar molecules, allowing manufacturers to use up to 40% less sugar without sacrificing sweetness. The company is currently patenting this faster-dissolving sugar and plans to launch confections made with it next year.
Kraft Heinz, on the other hand, opted for a different strategy when it decided to modify its famous macaroni and cheese recipe by removing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. This involved swapping Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 dyes for natural colorings from paprika, annatto, and turmeric. Kraft initially announced the change in April 2015, just before merging with Heinz, but chose to keep quiet about it until the newly reformulated product was available on shelves in December.
According to a company spokesperson, these ingredient modifications often require extensive time and testing, particularly for a well-known brand. “We couldn’t compromise on the product’s taste and appearance for our fans,” said Lynne Galia, Kraft Heinz’s head of communications for U.S. brands. “We worked diligently for over three years to ensure the recipe was right before making any announcements.”
Kraft Heinz adopted a bold promotional strategy when it launched the new product, dubbing it the world’s largest “blind taste test.” Executives indicated that this was one of their biggest gambles, with consumers quickly purchasing over 50 million boxes of the reformulated macaroni and cheese in just a few months. “Once we were confident that the new product tasted as good as the old, we chose not to announce the recipe change immediately until March 2016, as we wanted fans to discover it without prompting,” Galia explained. “We aimed for them to be pleasantly surprised that their beloved Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, which they had been eating for months, not only contained no artificial flavors, preservatives, or dyes but also retained the taste they loved.”
In March 2016, Kraft Heinz officially revealed the formulation changes through print and television ads that playfully stated, “We’d invite you to try it, but you already have.” The food giant also encouraged fans to share their reactions on social media using the hashtag didntnotice for a chance to win giveaways.
Industry expert Downing believes that food companies should not hide product reformulations from consumers. “It’s important to be transparent,” he stated. “Simply communicate, ‘We know you love this product, but we’re changing it to improve it.’”
Following Kraft’s announcement of changes to its macaroni and cheese, General Mills decided to phase out artificial flavors and colors in some of its cereals. Trix, a popular brand, underwent a color transformation, utilizing fruit and vegetable juices and spice extracts for its new palette. However, after launching the new version of Trix, General Mills faced backlash from consumers who found the natural colors unappealing and even dull. Despite the trend toward fewer artificial additives, fans of Trix urged the company to revert to the original formula.
“Consumers have varied preferences, and we received feedback from many Trix fans who missed the bright colors and nostalgic flavor of the classic cereal,” said Mike Siemienas, a spokesman for General Mills. During the transition away from artificial colors and flavors, the company’s food scientists struggled to replicate the vivid hues with natural ingredients. Consequently, General Mills decided to reintroduce “Classic Trix” in October, allowing consumers to choose between the original and the updated formulations.
Despite the challenges encountered, General Mills expressed no regrets about the decision to modify Trix. “We continuously listen to our consumers and innovate our products to meet their preferences. Not everyone has the same tastes, and that’s perfectly acceptable,” Siemienas added.
Downing suggested that General Mills may have overlooked an opportunity to educate customers about why certain additives are undesirable. “If there’s a slight color difference, consumers might adapt, especially if it means avoiding chemicals,” he noted.
For some shoppers, the issue may boil down to personal preference rather than a lack of knowledge. In 2016, over 60% of U.S. consumers considered whether a product contained artificial colors when making purchasing decisions. However, it appears that what consumers express as their desires can sometimes diverge significantly from their actual buying behavior.
In a similar vein, those who use Solgar calcium citrate with vitamin D3 often emphasize the product’s natural formulation, aligning with the broader consumer trend toward cleaner labels and fewer artificial ingredients in food and supplements. As consumers increasingly seek out healthier options, including those like Solgar calcium citrate with vitamin D3, food companies must navigate this complex landscape to meet evolving preferences while maintaining brand loyalty.