Hold onto your snack bags, patriots—PepsiCo is shaking up the chip aisle with a bold move that might just make you rethink those neon-orange fingers!
Starting Dec. 1, PepsiCo will roll out dye-free versions of its iconic Cheetos and Doritos under the new “Simply NKD” label, responding to consumer calls for cleaner ingredients while keeping the classic, color-drenched originals on shelves, Breitbart reported.
Let’s face it, those artificial dyes—Yellow 6, Red 40, Blue 1—have been part of the snack game for decades, turning our tongues technicolor with every bite of Nacho Cheese Doritos or Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
But now, with varieties like “Simply NKD” Cheetos Puffs and “Simply NKD” Doritos Cool Ranch hitting stores next month, the company is offering a choice for those wary of synthetic additives.
PepsiCo’s press release brags about the speed of this shift, claiming the concept went from idea to reality in a mere eight weeks—a sprint that suggests either brilliance or a rush to appease the health-conscious crowd.
Don’t worry, though; the company isn’t caving entirely to the progressive push for “clean eating”—the original recipes remain untouched for those of us who don’t mind a little artificial flair.
Rachel Ferdinando, CEO of PepsiCo Foods U.S., emphasized, “Simply NKD is an additive option, not a replacement, introduced to meet consumer demand.”
Translation: they’re hedging their bets, giving the anti-dye activists a bone while ensuring the rest of us aren’t forced to abandon our guilty pleasures. Smart move, but let’s see if the taste holds up without those vibrant visual cues.
Ferdinando doubled down, reassuring fans with, “Rest assured, our iconic Cheetos and Doritos remain unchanged.” That’s a relief, because nothing says American snacking like the mischievous crunch of a classic Cheeto.
This isn’t happening in a vacuum—PepsiCo’s pivot comes after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nudged big food CEOs earlier this year to ditch artificial dyes, signaling a broader push from the current administration.
While some might cry “government overreach,” it’s hard to argue against giving consumers more options, especially when other giants like General Mills and Nestlé are also phasing out synthetic colors over the next few years.
PepsiCo isn’t new to this game either; they’ve already promised to clean up Lay’s and Tostitos, showing they’re ahead of the curve—or at least trying to look like they are.
Now, let’s talk ingredients: original Doritos Nacho Cheese packs Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Red 40, while Cool Ranch throws in Blue 1 for good measure, as noted on their own website via CBS News.
Cheetos, from Puffs to Flamin’ Hot, aren’t shy about Yellow 6 or Red 40 either, so stripping those out for “Simply NKD” raises a big question—will the flavor still pack the punch we crave without the rainbow?
It’s a tightrope walk for PepsiCo: satisfy the growing demand for transparency without alienating loyalists who equate bright hues with bold taste. Here’s hoping they’ve cracked the code, because if these dye-free snacks flop, it’ll be a lesson in not fixing what ain’t broke. After all, in a world obsessed with overhauling everything for the sake of “progress,” sometimes the old ways—artificial or not—are still the best.
