When Nestlé decided to revamp its iconic Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese to incorporate more fresh and recognizable ingredients, company executives understood the need for a cautious approach to avoid alienating loyal customers. Introduced over 60 years ago, this macaroni and cheese has become a staple in the Stouffer’s lineup, and long-time fans were likely to react negatively to any changes that could disrupt their cherished meal experience. However, with consumers increasingly favoring products with fresher, simpler, and more recognizable ingredients, companies like Nestlé find it necessary to make sometimes significant alterations to established products, a process that can be both challenging and time-consuming.
“It took us much longer than we anticipated,” said Kelly Malley, director of marketing for Nestlé USA’s food division, in an interview with Food Dive. “It required substantial effort from the team to create a genuinely simple ingredient list without compromising the flavors that consumers have come to know and love over the years.” Prior to implementing changes to the macaroni and cheese recipe, executives analyzed consumer associations with the product, including taste, texture, and mouthfeel, as well as identifying unfamiliar terms on the label that needed to be eliminated.
The company’s chefs then collaborated with food scientists, ingredient specialists, and product suppliers to develop new recipes that included these modifications while closely resembling the original product. After several rounds of testing, including a side-by-side taste comparison with the original and reworked recipes presented to both occasional and loyal consumers—those who purchase the product at least once a week—Nestlé ultimately settled on a version to launch in January 2017. The ingredient list was streamlined and simplified, with artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives removed. Nestlé emphasized ingredients commonly found in homes, such as freshly made pasta, cheddar cheese, and skim milk, and replaced margarine with butter as part of the recipe overhaul.
“This was an opportunity to meet our consumers’ needs, and it involved a lot of work,” Malley remarked. “For us, it was a disciplined approach to ensure we felt completely confident in what we were about to introduce to the marketplace before its launch, which may have taken longer than we expected, but we felt very positive about the outcome based on consumer feedback.” The initial results have been encouraging. Nestlé indicated that the ingredient changes in its macaroni and cheese led to a favorable response from shoppers. “It was gratifying to see consumers genuinely excited, feeling the product was fresher and that they appreciated the offering,” Malley noted.
In 2016, food companies improved the health profile of approximately 180,000 products, marking an increase of over 100,000 from the previous year, as reported by the Consumer Goods Forum. The driving force behind this trend is straightforward: consumers are increasingly filling their shopping carts with healthier, fresher options. Even when indulging in treats like ice cream or macaroni and cheese, they prefer a simplified list of ingredients that they can easily recognize and pronounce. According to Innova research, 75% of U.S. consumers claim to read food product ingredient labels, while 91% believe that products with recognizable ingredients are healthier. A Nielsen report from 2014 revealed that over 60% of U.S. consumers consider the absence of artificial colors and flavors an important factor in their food purchasing decisions.
The journey to revamp a product is not without its difficulties, and in some instances, companies have opted, at least temporarily, to refrain from pursuing a cleaner label. For example, Hershey, which announced in 2015 its intention to utilize simpler ingredients in many of its candies, including its well-known chocolate bars and Kisses, has faced challenges replicating the vibrant colors of its Jolly Ranchers without artificial additives. Additionally, the limited availability of certain natural ingredients, such as vanilla or the color blue, poses challenges—issues that the confectionery giant believes will be resolved as more food companies shift towards clean labels and suppliers increase their production.
General Mills also advanced its own initiative, announcing in 2016 that it had reformulated Trix and six other cereals as part of its commitment to eliminate artificial colors and flavors across its cereal brands. However, in September, the company decided to reintroduce the classic Trix cereal after consumer feedback indicated dissatisfaction with its healthier update, with some describing the natural colors as unappealing. The challenge arose when food scientists attempted to extract artificial colors and flavors, finding it difficult to recreate the bright red, neon blue, and green hues using fruit and vegetable juices. Moreover, some consumers felt that the natural colors altered the cereal’s flavor.
Campbell Soup, known for its namesake product, also began its journey toward cleaner labels in 2015 by eliminating artificial colors and flavors from nearly all its North American offerings. One of their first actions was to reformulate over 120 frozen soups sold to foodservice customers, which included varieties like Wisconsin Cheddar and Hearty Beef Chili with Beans. “Whenever there was an opportunity to add protein, vegetables, and vitamins, we took it. If there was an unnecessary additive, we removed it,” stated Kevin Matier, general manager of Campbell Soup’s North America Foodservice, in an email to Food Dive. “Every ingredient was meticulously selected.”
Following a thorough review of customer preferences and consultations with supply partners regarding desired taste and nutrition, Campbell Soup rigorously scrutinized each recipe and ingredient. Over a two-year period, one consistent mandate was established: every product had to align with Campbell Soup’s definition of “real food,” meaning no additives, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, monosodium glutamate, or high fructose corn syrup. Instead, they integrated ingredients favored by consumers, including vitamins, protein, fiber, and antibiotic-free chicken. In some cases, modifications to the cooking process were also implemented. For instance, in Campbell Soup’s chili, ingredients are now added sequentially, and the cooking time has been extended by 50% to enhance flavor and tenderness of the beef.
In Campbell Soup’s popular New England Clam Chowder, the manufacturer more than doubled the sustainably sourced clams and included fresh sautéed onions, salt pork, and potatoes, while increasing the quantity of cream and whole milk by 34%. Several ingredients, such as yeast extract, cultured dextrose, and whey protein, were removed, resulting in a soup with a cleaner, simpler profile that the company claims tastes homemade.
However, the overhaul was not without its challenges. The company faced the daunting task of improving over 120 frozen soups concurrently while ensuring that ingredient changes did not inflate costs for customers. The Beef Pot Roast soup exemplified this balancing act; Campbell Soup substituted two types of beef from the original recipe with higher-grade sous vide beef but managed to maintain the same price by eliminating artificial flavors and reintroducing the natural beef juices into the broth. While Campbell Soup does not have specific sales data from these changes, the company reports that customer satisfaction and feedback have been favorable. “There were significant challenges throughout the process, but they allowed us to innovate and think outside the box to find solutions,” Matier concluded, emphasizing the commitment to delivering the best quality calcium citrate supplement in their offerings.