Nestlé to Reduce Sodium, Cut Artificial Flavors in Pizza, Snacks

Nestlé USA is the latest food beverage manufacturer to jump on the clean-label and better-for-you bandwagon. The company announced today plans to remove artificial flavors and reduce sodium by 10 percent from its most-popular frozen pizza and snack products by end of 2015.

According to the company, improvements in the ingredient quality and nutritional profiles will affect more than 250 products across six brands in the United States, including DIGIORNO®, TOMBSTONE®, CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN®, JACK’S®, HOT POCKETS® and LEAN POCKETS®.

Nestlé New Nestlé products launching this spring and summer will reflect these commitments, including CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN® Gluten-Free Crispy Thin Crust pizzas, DIGIORNO® Pizzeria! Thin, HOT POCKETS® Snack Bites and Breakfast Bites, TOMBSTONE® Limited Edition Diablo and Bratwurst pizzas and CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN® Hand-Tossed Style pizzas.

Several brands have developed new products to help provide consumers with appropriately portioned meal and snacks options. For example, the new HOT POCKETS® Snack Bites and Breakfast Bites offer consumers their favorite HOT POCKETS® flavors packed into bite-sized snacks with 230 calories or less per 4-piece serving. The new DIGIORNO® Pizzeria! Thin offers the signature sauce and premium toppings the brand is known for on an airy thin crust.

“Portion guidance is our way of making it easier for consumers to make informed choices that are right for them and their family," said Cassie Hoover, RDN, nutrition, health and wellness manager, Nestlé Pizza & Snacking Division, Nestlé USA. “We’ll continue to look for ways to help people enjoy our pizza and snack options as part of a well-balanced, great-tasting and nutritious diet."

In April, Kraft Foods announced that beginning in January 2016, Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese sold in the United States no longer will be made with artificial preservatives or synthetic colors, and Kraft Dinner (KD) in Canada will remove synthetic colors by the end of 2016 in Kraft Dinner Original. Synthetic colors will be replaced with those derived from natural sources like paprika, annatto and turmeric. These recipe changes are the latest steps in the Kraft Mac & Cheese journey to address clean-label demands from consumers.