Nestle Confectionery's Artificial Ingredients Get Axed In UK

Nestle, the world's biggest food company, just announced that it would has removed all artificial ingredients from the candy it sells in the U.K. That means that all the flavors and dyes in its British candy are now derived from so-called "natural" sources.

The move towards natural ingredients began in 2005. It's taken almost seven years to find suitable alternatives for all the old artificial ingredients.

Nestle's U.K. candy brands include some of the country's most distinctive sweets: Kit-Kats, Smarties and Milky bar, which is the best-selling chocolate in the country.

A representative from Nestle U.S., though, said that there are currently no plans to make a similar change in the States. "That call is being made for that market at this time," she said.

That's not exactly surprising. What North America is for burgers and fries, the British Isles are for candy. Brits love candy as much as almost anyone in the world, so it's a huge, intensely competitive market for candy, with constant innovation -- so they're always one step ahead of everyone else.

Comments

[pavlo darcangelis]

01:26 PM on 03/05/2012

of course not , we love our chemicals in the old US.
Can hardly find chewing gum now without acesulfame potassium. Nasty stuff, smells like embalming fluid if not flavored.

[DoreenMunoz]

03:25 AM on 03/05/2012

I think they should do this for the products here in the US as well. Doesn't make sense to make it healthy for some due to sales/revenue and not do it for everyone. In other words, make all of the products healthier. I agree with quite a few posts that do point out other ingredients that need to be removed from the formulation of the candy. This is 2012, we need to get fit and stay healthy!

[flowereater]

05:43 PM on 03/04/2012

I've switched to all natural dark chocolate and coconut bars anyway. Nestle lost me years ago.

[cfahooligan]

03:59 PM on 03/04/2012

Now if we can only get them to stop using Palm oil in everything they make.....

[crimminy]

01:15 AM on 03/05/2012

Exactly, coconut oil is much healthier, but I guess Palm oil is cheaper....

[Karl Wilder]

12:31 PM on 03/04/2012

They need to define 'natural'. Sounds like a bunch of P.R.

[crimminy]

01:20 AM on 03/05/2012

This is true. I believe 60 minutes did a piece on flavorings, and "natural" flavor or color can be something like coloring something "red" by using beetle shells (carmine) and, as was reported beaver anal glands (castoreum) (mostly present in vanilla and raspberry flavoring) .

[sabelmouse]

07:15 AM on 03/04/2012

but do they still use child slaves to harvest their cocoa ? yes!

[C Karen Stopford]

07:06 AM on 03/04/2012

Well, this shows how successful the propaganda machine is in the US. We are a country not only of consumers, but consumers that have been trained to desire what it is we are allowed to buy. Time to turn off the TV, flush the prozac down the toilet, and demand our health rights.

[martha high]

07:10 PM on 03/03/2012

we want them out here in America. I have quit buying their products .

[oxjr]

06:10 PM on 03/03/2012

Americans don't get Chocolate Mint Areo bars???? I feel bad for you.

[cfahooligan]

04:00 PM on 03/04/2012

We get aerated products here now but it's huge gimmick and waste of time. Who wants aerated products? Less chocolate more lame fillers like air! I know they UK has a long love affair with that stuff but truly it's a waste of time.

[mlaiuppa]

02:14 PM on 03/03/2012

So, we still get ¢r@p?

Didn't Nestlé buy out Cadbury? Won't be buying any more Cadbury either.

[Scudder]

02:46 PM on 03/04/2012

Kraft bought Cadbury.

[Sabrae]

01:29 PM on 03/03/2012

Why not here, too? The less artificial junk we put in our bodies the better off we'll be.

[mlaiuppa]

02:15 PM on 03/03/2012

Because consumers aren't forcing them to.

Americans buy their ¢r@p as is. No need to reformulate to sell it.

[Sabrae]

02:40 PM on 03/03/2012

It sad when food in natural colors looks bland to us.

[HowlingVoyager]

01:27 PM on 03/03/2012

I have a dear friend who lives in Ireland. For my birthday and Christmas, she always sends me a 'care package' of chocolate. Cadbury and others, all manufactured in the UK or Ireland. Now this isn't high end, exalted fancy chocolate, but just normal, everyday brands. Let me tell you, the difference between a Cadbury chocolate bar manufactured in the UK and one from a US factory is very, VERY obvious on the palate.

Nestle might want to take notice of this and change their US manufacturing policies as well. They'd certainly have me as a more regular customer.

[mlaiuppa]

02:16 PM on 03/03/2012

I wish I had a UK contact to get some care packages.

I wonder if it's available in Germany? I'm going there for a week in July and I'd love to bring back some European unadulterated Cadbury.

[sabelmouse]

07:18 AM on 03/04/2012

why would you want cadbury if you can have german chocolate , or swiss, or dutch, or belgian.
or bean and seed organic and fair trade . they ship everywhere, or at least germany, ireland and usa i know for sure.

[C Karen Stopford]

07:05 AM on 03/04/2012

You should taste their fresh fruit and veg. You will want to give up your citizenship. Not at all like the genetically engineered, pesticide-soaked, irradiated and artificially ripened garbage we get in the markets here.

[Lisa Nauseda]

10:27 PM on 03/02/2012

As usual, the US lags behind in ensuring we are getting quality food.

[Food Review 101 Web-Site]

08:39 PM on 03/02/2012

How is that possible? Isn't that the only thing that makes Nestle candy?

[rikster]

08:09 PM on 03/02/2012

so, elsewhere, there is a deluge of additives...?