Nestlé has announced plans to eliminate artificial food colours from its entire global product portfolio by the end of 2026. The move has positioned the company among the first major global food manufacturers to commit to removing artificial colours across all its products.
As per media reports, the announcement has come amid growing consumer scrutiny of food ingredients and increasing demand for healthier food options, alongside the rising popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss medications. The initiative has also expanded Nestlé’s clean-label efforts beyond the US, where the company has already removed artificial colouring from its product portfolio.
Stefan Palzer, Chief Technology Officer at Nestlé, has said the company expects its global portfolio to be free of artificial colours by the end of the year. He has also noted that the transition has not been straightforward, as it has required years of research and development to identify natural alternatives that meet the company’s production, quality and shelf-life standards.
Palzer has further said that Nestlé has invested significant effort in screening natural colouring solutions, testing them during manufacturing and validating their stability throughout a product’s shelf life before introducing them into the portfolio.
He has added that the company’s decision has been driven by changing consumer preferences, with customers increasingly seeking products made with simpler recipes and fewer artificial ingredients.
The announcement has also aligned with a broader industry trend of food manufacturers and retailers reducing the use of ingredients such as corn syrup and synthetic FD&C food dyes. Nestlé has increasingly focused on products aimed at weight-conscious consumers and those looking for less processed food options.
Separately, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have announced plans to phase out certain artificial food colourings, citing concerns over their potential links to conditions including diabetes, obesity and ADHD.
