Several of America’s favorite snacks have undergone a MAHA makeover, as manufacturers begin to eliminate the use of artificial ingredients.
The new stripped-back versions of Doritos and Cheetos have begun to appear on shelves in Walmart and Sam’s Club in white packaging rebranded as ‘Simply NKD,’ or simply naked, to show they are versions without artificial flavors or dyes.
Inside, the chips are now a faded yellow and the Cheetos are a near-white instead of their usual red and orange hues.
Manufacturer PepsiCo said the texture and taste of the snacks remains the same, and it hopes to soon roll them out to more stores this year.
Many people have taken to social media to celebrate the new snacks, stating they ‘taste identical’ to the additive-laden versions and have a ‘delightful, crunchy texture’.
Others have been less thrilled with the new snacks, however, with one writing on social media: ‘They were disgusting. Does not at all taste like a Nacho Cheese Dorito, not to mention they leave a gross taste in the mouth afterwards.’
The new versions are retailing at the same price as the originals, currently at just under $4 per bag, and are being sold alongside them, rather than as a replacement.
Rachel Ferdinando, the CEO of PepsiCo, said the new products had been released after consumers called for a product with fewer additives.
Shown above is the original Dorito, left, and the new version that does not contain artificial dyes or flavors
Shown above is the original Cheeto, right, and the new version that does not contain any artificial colors or flavors
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has also urged companies to remove ‘toxic’ dyes from foods.
Ferdinando said in a statement: ‘Rest assured, our iconic Cheetos and Doritos remain unchanged. Simply NKD is an alternative option, not a replacement, introduced to meet consumer demand.
‘This move underscores our commitment to flavor leadership, demonstrating that our taste remains strong even without visual cues.’
She added: ‘As part of our broader transformation, we are expanding choices while still protecting our iconic brands. More choices, same flavor, same brand power.’
For Doritos, the manufacturer has made a Simply NKD version of its Cool Ranch and Nacho Cheese flavors, while for Cheetos, there is now a Simply NKD version of its Flamin’ Hot and Puffs version.
The new versions of all the products no longer contain the food colorings Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, which are made from petroleum and have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
In scientific studies on animals, the dyes were also linked to a higher risk of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and inflammation.
The products also no longer contain flavor enhancers including monosodium glutamate, or known as MSG, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate or sodium diacetate. These have previously been linked to health problems including headaches, body tingling, and nausea.
RFK Jr slammed petroleum-based food dyes, including Red 40, at a press conference in April last year, referring to them as poison.
He warned: ‘For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent.’
The above shows the original Doritos Nacho Cheese and the new version that does not contain dyes or additives
The above shows the original packaging for Doritos Cool Ranch and the new version that does not contain any artificial dyes or additives
He also previously mentioned MSG in a video posted to Instagram in March last year, where he mentioned it among a list of additives that advocates were urging food companies to remove from their products.
Snacks such as Doritos and Cheetos are not considered healthy or part of a balanced diet and despite no longer using the artificial ingredients, the snacks are still considered ultra-processed foods because they are an industrial formulation of a food that contains five or more ingredients not typically found in a kitchen.
The new Doritos still contain processed substances, including citric acid and lactic acids, which are preservatives and flavor enhancers.
Overall, a serving of the new Doritos and Cheetos contains about the same number of calories per bag, at about 150 calories for 11 or 12 chips.
But they do tend to contain slightly less salt or fat. For Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the Simply NKD version contains slightly more cholesterol.
In Doritos Nacho Cheese, the original contains about eight grams of fat and 200 milligrams of salt in the same serving, but the Simply NKD version contains seven grams of fat and 150 milligrams of salt in the same serving.
The new Doritos and Cheetos were launched in Walmart stores across the country in November last year, and have been met with varied opinions on shelves.
One individual who tried the new Simply NKD Cool Ranch wrote on X: ‘Hopefully, RFK Jr got this right because if they’re in fact healthier, I can certainly live without dyes.’
Another said: ‘The interesting and funny thing about Doritos Simply NKD is they look like regular tortilla chips. The Cool Ranch variety has a delightful, crunchy texture. It’s packed with that distinctive Cool Ranch taste.’
A third said: ‘Doritos NKD honestly taste identical to the regular ones.’
Shown above is the packaging for Cheetos Puffs and the version that does not contain any food dyes or additives
The new versions are currently for sale in Walmart stores throughout the US and priced at the same level as the regular versions, or about $4
Others have been less thrilled, however. On the Simply NKD Nacho Cheese Dorito, one customer said: ‘They were disgusting. Does not at all taste like a Nacho Cheese Dorito, not to mention they leave a gross taste in the mouth afterwards.
‘The stomach problems I had after eating these, was bad. I threw away both bags, that’s how bad they were.’
A second person said: ‘I really hoped they’d be good but disappointed in the flavor. Not much Nacho flavor and no cheese dust on fingers. Yes, they removed useless dyes and color, but they lost flavor too.’
PepsiCo did not immediately respond to a Daily Mail request for comment.
PepsiCo have said they are now working on replacing dyes in other products, although it was not immediately clear which these were.
Hernan Tantardini, CMO of PepsiCo Foods US, added: ‘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.’
RFK Jr has not commented on the launch of the products, but Vani Hari, a prominent food campaigner linked to the Trump administration, slammed the move because PepsiCo is still selling the original versions.
PepsiCo, which manufactures Cheetos and Doritos, said it was now working to also make more flavors dye and additive free
She wrote online: ‘It’s insulting that PepsiCo continues to poison Americans, while selling safer versions of their original Doritos and Cheetos to people in other countries.
‘They’ve created a whole new “dye free” version that doesn’t solve the problem.’
When RFK Jr became health secretary last February, he pushed companies to ditch artificial dyes, a critical issue for supporters in the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ social movement backing him.
Nearly a year later, artificial dyes are still prevalent across grocery store aisles, lending vibrant colors to products ranging from salad dressing to breakfast cereals and beverages.
But some companies, including PepsiCo, have responded to Kennedy’s request by reformulating products now and promising to ditch the dyes fully over time.
Compliance is voluntary on the federal level, though companies are now facing new and proposed state laws on the issue, adding to the pressure.
A review of 15 of America’s biggest food makers found that two, soup maker Campbell’s and Switzerland-based Nestle had pledged to remove artificial dyes before the end of 2026, the initial timeline proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Seven, including Jell-O maker Kraft Heinz and Conagra Brands, had committed to eliminating them by the end of 2027.
But six, including Oreo-maker Coca-Cola, have not made any promises. Some have tried to get in on the trend, however, by releasing dye and additive-free versions of their products.
A spokesperson for the health department told Reuters: ‘Nearly 40 percent of the entire packaged US food and beverage supply has publicly committed to removing artificial dyes in the near term.’
The spokesperson added that the department asked and the industry largely agreed to phase the dyes out of school foods by the upcoming school year, and all foods starting in 2027.
Shown above are some of the new Cheetos for sale in a Walmart store in Encinitas, California, on January 20 this year
Food manufacturers taking longer to change are citing cost, scarcity of natural ingredients and other logistical hurdles as reasons for the delay.
Conagra Brands, maker of Duncan Hines baking mixes, is weighing how shifting to natural dyes would impact retail prices. It has tested beets and other vegetables as a replacement for Red 40, but has found it tends to make its red velvet cake gray rather than red.
Products containing Red 40, widely used in the US, require a warning label in the UK and European Union.
Consumer advocates say the dyes worsen ADHD symptoms and other behavioral issues in children, and Kennedy has raised similar concerns.
Scientists say the health impacts of the colors, which do not add nutritional value to food, require more research.
Marion Nestle, a professor emerita of health, nutrition and food studies at New York University unrelated to the Nestle company, said manufacturers are stalling because removing dyes may hurt sales, which are already under pressure due to price hikes and consumers cutting back on purchases.
She said: ‘These experiments have been done, and the results are not pretty for the food companies. Sales go down, and stockholders don’t like that.’