Iconic cereals like Trix and Lucky Charms are getting a natural upgrade in the latest bid by a major food company to create healthier products.
General Mills (GIS) said Monday that it will phase out artificial flavors and colors from all of its cereals by 2017. The announcement comes as the latest from an ever-growing group of food retailers vowing to axe artificial ingredients, including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Panera, Kraft Foods Group and Subway.
"We've continued to listen to consumers who want to see more recognizable and familiar ingredients on the labels and challenged ourselves to remove barriers that prevent adults and children from enjoying our cereals," said Jim Murphy, president of General Mills cereal division, in a statement.
Packaged food companies are losing marketshare and seeing revenue fall as consumers turn toward brands known for less processed, simpler, more authentic food. Many companies are trying to draw back customers' attention by redoing products with fewer complex ingredients and taking stands against additives like antibiotics in meat.
General Mills cereals such as Trix and Reese's Puffs will now be made with fruit and vegetable juices and natural vanilla. Trix will lose some colors in the process. When the new version rolls out this winter, it will have just four colors instead of six – blue and green didn't make the cut because the company hasn't identified a suitable natural alternative.
"We're continuing to work on them, but they didn't deliver on that vibrant color that we expect from Trix," says Kate Gallager, a General Mills cereal developer. Reese's Puffs, also rolling out this winter, will no longer be artificially colored, but Gallager says the difference is barely noticeable.
General Mills declined to say how much it's investing to upgrade ingredients, but the cost won't be passed along to consumers, says spokesman Mike Siemienas. The recipe changes will only affect cereals sold in the U.S. and Canada.
General Mills cereals include Corn Chex, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Wheaties and Fiber One. Artificial ingredients are already absent from 60% of its cereals, the company said. They either never had them or they were already replaced.
The company began reformulating colorful cereals like Trix about three years ago, it says, testing different spice blends and natural dyes to find replacements for the artificial colors it was using.
Reformulating cereals with marshmallows will be a focus next year, says the company, adding this may take longer than grain-heavy cereals.
More than 90% of the cereal portfolio will be artificial-free by the end of 2016, General Mills says, with 100% free by the end of 2017.
The hardest part about switching from artificial ingredients to natural ingredients is maintaining consistent flavor and texture, according to Gallager. Natural dyes like turmeric for yellow, paprika for red and fruit and vegetable concentrates can sometimes impart too much flavor or don't produce colors that are as bold.
Beyond cereal, General Mills says it's already transforming multiple product lines to make them healthier.
Last week the company was in the spotlight thanks to the Food and Drug Administration's announcement that food manufacturers must get rid of trans fats by 2018. General Mills' brands include Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, whose baking mixes and frosting tubs include partially hydrogenated oil, the primary contributor to trans-fat consumption.
General Mills said last week that it's already working to remove trans fats from products and that more than 95% of its products are already trans-fat free. The company declined to give details on whether other products will also lose artificial ingredients following the overhaul to cereal.
