Halloween may taste different this year

Retailers who sell Nestle candy may soon be hearing a lot from their customers about changes in the taste or color of their favorite confections.

That’s because Nestlé has pledged to remove all artificial flavors and colors from its chocolate and sweets in the United States.

The Swiss firm said it would get rid of artificial ingredients from more than 250 products by the end of 2015, making it the first major confectionery manufacturer to ban such additives in the U.S. Nestlé said that the decision was due to growing demand from customers for foods made with natural ingredients.

“We know that candy consumers are interested in broader food trends around fewer artificial ingredients,” said Doreen Ida, president of Nestlé's U.S. confectionery and snacks division. “As we thought about what this means for our candy brands, our first step has been to remove artificial flavours and colours without affecting taste or increasing the price. We’re excited to be the first major US candy manufacturer to make this commitment.”

Around 75 recipes will need to be tweaked by Nestlé over the next year to meet the new rules. The firm said it was exploring natural alternatives, such as using annatto, a natural yellow colouring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, to colour the centre of its Butterfinger bars, rather than the artificial colours Red 40 and Yellow 5.

A study in 2014 found that more than 60% of U.S. consumers were put off buying foods by the presence of artificial colors or flavors.