Nestlé USA completes removal of FD&C artificial colors across food and beverage portfolio
With this milestone, all products distributed by Nestlé USA, ranging from retail grocery items to commercial food service offerings, are now entirely free of synthetic dyes and petroleum-based color additives.
USA – Nestlé USA has completed its 2026 goal of removing artificial colours defined by the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C) from its US food and beverage portfolio, as part of the company’s broader reformulation and transparency initiatives.
The company began eliminating all FD&C colours in June 2025. At the time, more than 90% of Nestlé USA’s portfolio was already free of synthetic colours, but products like Nesquik Banana Strawberry low-fat ready-to-drink milk, which contained Red No. 3, and Nesquik Strawberry Syrup, which used Red No. 40, still relied on artificial dyes.
To achieve the milestone, Nestlé removed or reformulated products that previously relied on these additives, replacing them with natural alternatives where needed, and without sacrificing product integrity, according to CEO Marty Thompson.
“We will keep evolving in ways that matter to them, while strengthening trust in our brands and offering high-quality food and beverages. Eliminating FD&C colours from our portfolio is one more way we continue to meet those expectations while delivering the quality people know and expect from Nestlé USA.”
In 2025, several major food and beverage manufacturers also vowed to remove FD&C colors from their products, including Campbell’s, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Mars Wrigley, and Utz, which have committed to completing their phaseouts by the end of 2027.
This work reflects Nestlé USA’s ongoing commitment to quality and transparency, evolving with consumer preferences and delivering tasty, nutritious, high-quality food and beverages, today and for generations to come.
The reformulation effort affects the company’s entire domestic lineup, including petroleum-based artificial colours and all certified FD&C colours. Nestlé USA confirmed on its US website that all remaining FD&C colours have been eliminated from its portfolio through comprehensive product reformulations that replace synthetic dyes with natural colour alternatives.
The phase-out was completed across the entire US food and beverage portfolio by mid-2026, including dairy-based and dairy-adjacent brands.
The company initially announced its timeline to eliminate FD&C colours in June 2025, pledging full removal within 12 months and ahead of the original deadline.
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