News

PepsiCo formulates ‘naked’ Cheetos and Doritos products

US food giant PepsiCo has launched its Simply NKD range, a move it says reimagines its popular products with new formulations free from artificial flavours, dyes, and colours.

“Cheetos and Doritos getting naked,” PepsiCo said as it announced its new Cheetos and Doritos releases in December.

With a nod to the corporation stripping back its artificial content, the company confirmed its emphasis is on providing consumers with choice, indicating that the move focuses on expansion rather than restriction.

“More choices, same flavour, same brand power,” said Rachel Ferdinando, CEO of PepsiCo Foods US.

Its debut Simply NKD collection includes Doritos Simply NKD Nacho Cheese, Doritos Simply NKD Cool Ranch, Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs, and Cheetos Simply NKD Flamin’ Hot varieties.

Addressing additive concerns, maintaining appeal

PepsiCo said the new product range forms part of its broader transformation strategy, under which it will retain its familiar brands while extending offerings through reimagined formulations.

As such, the company anticipates that the ingredient changes in its products will not affect their sensorial appeal.

“Rest assured, our iconic Cheetos and Doritos remain unchanged. NKD is an additive option, not a replacement, introduced to meet consumer demand,” Ferdinando said. “This move underscores our commitment to flavour leadership, demonstrating that our taste remains strong even without visual cues.”

The company emphasised that Simply NKD retains the expected flavour and crunch to meet shoppers’ demands.

“We are reinventing our iconic – and most famous – brands to deliver options with the bold flavours fans know and love, now reimagined without any colours or artificial flavours,” said Hernán Tantardini, chief marketing officer of PepsiCo Foods US.

Additive rules undergo legal reform

Food additives such as artificial flavours, dyes, and colours have come under the radar in recent years, with governments banning or considering prohibiting certain artificial ingredients from formulations.

In October, global regulatory and market intelligence company ChemLinked reported that leading North American and Asian markets were updating their additive laws. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set effective dates for three food colour additives, while Thailand is amending its Food Additive Usage Regulation.

As part of the Cheetos and Doritos reformulation, their bright orange colouring will be removed. Removing Red 40 and Yellow 6 from ingredient lists may be welcomed by consumers seeking free-from alternatives.

It also reflects a push by European countries to phase out these additives and require warning labels on packaging.

Does the R&D go far enough?

PepsiCo said its reinvention followed the question: “What if we stripped our most iconic snacks down to their fundamentals?” After eight weeks of R&D, it took the idea from concept to completion.

However, the move has come under scrutiny. In a Substack post exploring “the big ideas and innovations shaping the future of food”, commentator Mike Lee said PepsiCo had “removed the dyes but kept everything else”.

He questioned whether the release represented meaningful progress toward a healthier food system, asking: “Faded Doritos that otherwise remain nutritionally unchanged?”

The nutritional profile of the new range indicates that no other changes have been made. A single 1oz serving contains 150 calories, 7g fat, and 150mg of sodium. That equates to approximately 10% of an adult’s daily fat allowance and 6% of the recommended daily sodium content.

“The dyes are not the most nutritionally suspect part of Doritos and Cheetos. Removing them is like putting a filter on a cigarette and calling it healthier,” said Lee.

Forming a healthier food system

PepsiCo’s press release announcing its Simply NKD launch concluded: “If we can reinvent Doritos and Cheetos, imagine what’s next.”

Lee outlined what he envisions to be the brand’s next steps clearly.

“What’s next is more of the same – slightly reformulated versions of the same ultra-processed products, each one stripped of whichever ingredient happens to be trending on social media that quarter, each one marketed as revolutionary while changing nothing about the fundamental business model that made these products problematic in the first place,” he wrote.