The iconic gelatin brand famous for its vibrant artificial colors is introducing a natural alternative to satisfy growing consumer preferences for cleaner ingredients.
Kraft Heinz Co. announced Tuesday the launch of Jell-O Simply, a collection of ready-to-eat gelatin products that eliminates synthetic colors and artificial sweeteners. The company reports these new offerings contain at least 25% less sugar compared to traditional varieties.
Three flavors are currently available in retail locations: orange, raspberry lemonade and blueberry. According to Kathryn O’Brien, Kraft Heinz’s head of marketing for desserts, the vibrant colors come from natural sources including vegetable juice, fruit juice and turmeric root extract.
The company plans to broaden the Jell-O Simply product line in August with vanilla and chocolate instant pudding options, plus banana and strawberry gelatin mixes. This expansion represents part of the food manufacturer’s wider shift toward natural ingredients.
Market data from NielsenIQ shows the challenges facing artificially-colored products like traditional Jell-O. Sales of prepared gelatin have dropped 21% in the past four years, while gelatin mix sales declined 4% during the same period, reflecting consumer demand for more natural food options.
Government pressure has also influenced the industry’s move away from artificial additives. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently prohibited Red 3 dye from American food products during the final weeks of the Biden administration. Subsequently, Trump administration officials encouraged manufacturers to voluntarily eliminate other petroleum-derived artificial colors.
Retail pressure is adding to this trend, with Target announcing in February its decision to discontinue cereals containing synthetic colors by summer.
Kraft Heinz committed last summer to eliminating artificial dyes from all U.S. products by 2027. The company stated that 90% of its American products already exclude synthetic dyes, noting it removed artificial colors from macaroni and cheese in 2016. However, brands including Jell-O, Kool-Aid and Crystal Light still contain these additives.
O’Brien characterized Jell-O Simply as a “meaningful evolution” for the brand that has existed for 125 years. She emphasized that the product maintains the familiar jiggle, taste and bright appearance consumers expect.
“We know families are looking for treats that strike the right balance between great taste and ingredients they can feel good about, and they don’t want to sacrifice the brands they know and love to get there,” O’Brien said in a statement.
The Jell-O Simply line will become a permanent fixture in the company’s product range, remaining available even after artificial colors are eliminated from standard Jell-O products next year. Traditional Jell-O varieties may continue to include artificial sweeteners, differentiating them from the Simply line.
Both product lines share gelatin as their main ingredient, a colorless and tasteless substance created from animal collagen. The Michigan State University Center for Research on Ingredient Safety explains that collagen comes from skin, bones and connective tissues of animals such as cows, pigs or fish.
Consumers will pay a premium for the natural alternative, similar to other products like Lay’s Simply Cheetos. A four-pack of Jell-O Simply costs $3.99, representing a 46-cent increase over regular Jell-O four-packs, according to company pricing.
