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PepsiCo bares it all with Doritos and Cheetos Simply NKD

The new snacks were developed to maintain the same taste as the original products.

PepsiCo Foods has introduced Doritos and Cheetos Simply NKD, reinventions of Doritos and Cheetos flavors, now made with no dyes or artificial flavors.

Simply NKD aims to disrupt the category by removing artificial colors, delivering bold flavors, and expanding choices across the portfolio of brands, the company says. This new line was developed to maintain the same crunch and taste as the original products, and it includes:

Doritos Simply NKD Nacho Cheese
Doritos Simply NKD Cool Ranch
Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs
Cheetos Simply NKD Flamin’ Hot

The Simply NKD concept was born from a question, the company notes: “What if PepsiCo Foods stripped its most iconic snacks down to their fundamentals?” From the ideation of this product to the completion with PepsiCo R&D, Simply NKD took eight weeks to develop. This innovation is about taking a creative leap, challenging expectations, and reinventing food experiences, PepsiCo says.

The launch is just the latest stop on PepsiCo’s journey to double down on meeting consumers where they’re at—most recently, it announced Lay’s will undergo a transition to have no artificial flavors and no colors from artificial sources in its potato chips by the end of this year, with the Simply NKD launch building on this commitment and more to come

"We’re turning expectations upside down—removing artificial colors, not the flavor—and proving that unforgettable taste can be colorless," says Rachel Ferdinando, CEO, PepsiCo Foods U.S.

Hernán Tantardini, CMO, PepsiCo Foods U.S., comments: “No color, no artificial flavors, same intensity—that’s Simply NKD. Doritos and Cheetos are pioneering a snacking revolution, or a renaissance, if you will. We are reinventing our iconic—and most famous—brands to deliver options with the bold flavors fans know and love, now reimagined without any colors or artificial flavors."

Simply NKD is now officially available to preorder online here with in-store availability on December 1.

PepsiCo (Frito-Lay) is on the current Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Top 50” rankings.