Yum Brands is the latest in a growing list of foodservice companies to announce its plan to phase out artificial ingredients. The company’s Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant chains will remove artificial flavors and colors. For Pizza Hut, the removal will be complete by the end of July and Taco Bell expects the transition to be complete by the end of 2015.
“Today’s consumer more than ever before wants to understand the ingredients that make up the foods that they enjoy,” said David Gibbs, CEO of Pizza Hut. “As the world’s largest pizza company that has unrivaled heritage in quality and flavorful pizzas, it only made sense for us to lead the category in this area. We are committed to doing this the right way and to make the changes that ensure only the highest quality and greatest flavors in our food.”
For more than a year, the Pizza Hut culinary team has been working alongside its suppliers to reformulate its menu and removing many of the artificial additives. The company has already eliminated added trans fats and MSG, and is actively working to lower the sodium in its pizzas.
In addition to removing artificial colors and flavors, Taco Bell plans to remove other additives like added trans fat, and will replace unsustainable palm oil with sustainable, RSPO-certified palm. And by the end of 2017, Taco Bell will look to remove additional artificial preservatives and additives where possible. These changes will impact more than 95% of Taco Bell core food items across its menu, not including beverages and co-branded items. The company has already removed additives such as BHA/BHT, HVPs, MSG, and azodicarbonamide from its food in recent years.
