Nestlé ditches artificial ingredients for sweets

Nestlé, maker of Kit Kat, Smarties and Quality Street, has removed all artificial flavours and preservatives from its entire sweet range, a move it claims makes it the first confectioner in the UK to do so.

Smarties

The announcement comes as Nestlé Crunch was the last of the company’s 79 products to have its artificial ingredients replaced with natural alternatives such as carrot and lemon.

It marks the end of a six-year programme for the company, which first began working on removing artificial ingredients when it dropped them from Smarties and Milky Bar in 2005.

Nestlé says the changes were made in response to a rise in health-conscious consumers demanding fewer chemical ingredients in its products.

Research conducted by the company revealed that three quarters (74%) of UK consumers now look for natural ingredients when buying confectionery.

David Rennie, managing director of Nestlé Confectionery UK, says the move is a “significant milestone.”

He adds: “Nestlé is proud to be the only major confectionery company in the UK to announce it is 100% free of artificial preservatives, flavours or colours across the entire portfolio.

“To achieve this, Nestlé Confectionery and our suppliers have worked very hard ensuring we don’t compromise and we maintain the same quality and taste of all our brands.”

Earlier this month, Nestlé announced it would accelerate its product innovation plans in a bid to offset what it predicts will be a tough 2012.

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