Yum! Brands’ Taco Bell to Offer Additive-Free Food Items

Yum! Brands, Inc.’s YUM Taco Bell is looking to appease the heath-conscious guests by joining the natural food bandwagon.

Taco Bell intends to replace all artificial flavors and colors used in their food items with natural alternatives by the end of this year. Other additives such as added trans-fat will be dropped soon, while unsustainable palm oil will be replaced with sustainable, RSPO-certified palm oil. Further, by 2017-end, Taco Bell plans to remove additional artificial preservatives and additives from certain menu items.

This initiative will affect almost 95% of its menu items. However, beverages and co-branded items will be exempted. Per media reports, the Doritos Locos Tacos — a co-branded menu item based on PepsiCo Inc.’s Doritos snack chips — will be excluded.

This is not the first time that Taco Bell has focused on offering a healthier menu. The quick service chain had already taken steps to reduce sodium by 15% across its menu and introduced the protein and nutrient-rich Cantina Power Menu. Over the years, Taco Bell has also removed additives such as BHA/BHT, HVPs, MSG and Azodicarbonamide from its food offerings.

Additionally, the brand is looking to display user-friendly ingredient statements and full nutrition information online. Customers can use this information along with a nutrient calculator, available on the brand’s website, through mobile devices.

Yum!’s Pizza Hut brand is also looking to do away with artificial flavors and colors from its pizzas in U.S. by the end of July.

The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company’s initiatives are part of a broader trend in the restaurant industry to explain how and from where the raw materials are sourced, in response to consumers’ increased interest in learning more about what they are eating.

Health consciousness is increasing among the masses and the Americans are gradually refraining from food with higher calories, fat and sugars but low on vitamins, minerals and other micro-nutrients. Therefore, food companies are changing their priorities to focus more on “good for you” products. For example, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.’s CMG “Food with Integrity” campaign promotes that its meat is raised without hormones and antibiotics, and mostly local and organic produce is used.

In May, last year, McDonald's Corp. MCD listed its new sustainability goals for 2020 per the rules of Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef – an organization to advance continuous improvement in sustainability of beef served globally. The fast-food giant outlined the global criteria for sustainable beef production and announced plans to purchase verified sustainable beef by 2016. Additionally, McDonald's intends to align its business to make it more environment-friendly.

Further, in Dec 2014, Panera Bread Company PNRA offered details regarding its comprehensive Food Policy, introduced in June the same year, regarding its shift to healthier food alternatives. The company’s latest Food Policy details include the removal of additives from its ingredients.

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