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Nestlé has revealed it will remove all artificial food colourings from its entire portfolio worldwide by the end of the year.
According to Reuters, Nestlé’s technology chief Stefan Palzer told its reporters this week that the food and beverage giant will cut synthetic colours from all of its products globally – a significant step beyond its previous commitment to do the same across its US portfolio.
A spokesperson for Nestlé confirmed to FoodBev that, as part of a long-term effort, the company expects to close the remaining small gap – a handful of products in various markets – within the next six months. The company has already undergone smaller reformulation efforts within specific categories and markets – it removed all artificial colours from its confectionery portfolio in the UK back in 2012.
Nestlé made the commitment to eliminate FD&C colours from products sold across its US food and beverage business in 2025, confirming last month that it had completed the removal process.
These major milestones form part of a broader reformulation trend across the F&B industry, with consumers paying more attention to artificial ingredients amid growing awareness of ‘ultra-processed foods’ and clean-label trends.
The US, in particular, has seen a growing number of major multinational manufacturers committing to removing artificial colours as the regulatory landscape evolves – companies in the States have been under mounting pressure from policymakers in recent years, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr pushing for the removal of artificial dyes and other additives.
Other major food players are making similar commitments across their US portfolios, including Kraft Heinz and General Mills. However, the decision to expand this commitment worldwide is a significant, industry-first move from a major multinational player like Nestlé, underscoring the global scale of demand for natural ingredients and synthetic additive-free formulations.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it will eliminate all petroleum-based dyes from the US food supply chain, with several dyes already banned, and new, natural colour alternatives being authorised. The moves come as concerns have been raised about health impacts of artificial colours, with some research studies suggesting potential links between certain dyes and health conditions such as ADHD and diabetes.
The synthetic colourant Red 3 was banned in the US in early 2025 following two studies that linked the dye to cancer in laboratory rats – though the FDA acknowledged that exposure levels for humans are typically significantly lower than those that cause the effects shown in rats.