Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, both owned by Yum Brands Inc, have announced they will eliminate artificial ingredients from their food in the coming months.
Taco Bell said it plans to replace artificial flavors, colors, and some additives such as trans-fats with more natural ingredients by the end of 2015. It has also vowed to remove more additives and artificial preservatives, where possible, by the end of 2017
Pizza Hut said it is attempting to move away from artificial flavors and colors in its US restaurants by the end of July.
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Pizza Hut CEO David Gibbs said it was in response to customer demands.
“You don’t get the honor of being America’s leading pizza brand without consistently keeping up with the changing needs of today’s consumers,” he said in a news release.
They join the growing ranks of food companies and restaurants that have announced plans to eliminate a variety of artificial preservatives, flavors and colors, as well as various types of sweeteners and meat from animals raised with antibiotics, in response to consumer demands for transparency and simplicity in the foods they eat.
Earlier in May,the Panera Bread food chain announced it would be removing more than 100 artificial ingredients from its menu by 2016.
Last month, Chipotle became the first major fast-food chain to remove genetically engineered ingredients. Kraft announced its decision to eliminate completely all synthetic food coloring from it’s most famous product- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.
In February, Nestle USA said it was removing artificial flavors and certified colors from more than 250 of its products by the end of 2015 and last year General Mills also said it was cutting out GMOs in Cheerios.
