
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
Satellites capture aftermath of Ethiopian volcano's 1st eruption in recorded history (images) - 2
Manual for Wonderful Getaway destination - 3
German mid-sized firms gloomy on outlook, survey finds - 4
How 2025 became the year of comet: The rise of interstellar 3I/ATLAS, an icy Lemmon and a cosmic SWAN - 5
New research reveals urban raccoons across the US show early signs of domestication
Slims down for Maintainable Weight reduction
The Craft of Computerized Detox: Individual Trials
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover could break the record for miles driven on another planet
6 Hints to Upgrade Your Charm, In addition to Your Mentality
The Best 20 Photography Instagram Records to Follow
Physicists and philosophers have long struggled to understand the nature of time: Here's why
Cells have more mini ‘organs’ than researchers thought − unbound by membranes, these rogue organelles challenge biology’s fundamentals
Well informed: How to Take full advantage of Your Gadgets
Little Urban areas to Visit in Western Europe













