Jell-O — long known for its bright rainbow of artificially colored gelatins — is getting a line of products made without synthetic colors or artificial sweeteners to meet increasing consumer demand for natural ingredients.Kraft Heinz Co. on Tuesday unveiled Jell-O Simply, a line of pre-made gelatin that the company said is made with fruit juice and has at least 25% less sugar than the regular version. The ready-to-eat range now available in stores comes in three flavors -- orange, raspberry lemonade and blueberry. Kathryn O’Brien, Kraft Heinz’s head of marketing for desserts, said the products are colored using vegetable juice, fruit juice and an extract derived from turmeric roots. Kraft Heinz said it would expand the Jell-O Simply brand in August to include vanilla and chocolate instant pudding and banana and strawberry gelatin mixes, part of the food and beverage company’s broader transition to natural ingredients.
Consumers are actively looking for foods with natural ingredients and less sugar, Kraft Heinz said Tuesday. That has taken a toll on products with artificial colors and flavors like Jell-O. Industrywide sales of pre-made gelatin have fallen 21% over the last four years, while unit sales of gelatin mix have fallen 4%, according to market research company NielsenIQ.
