The days of getting your fingers covered in orange powder and resulting in Cheetle dust on your couch may be a thing of the past. PepsiCo, the parent company of snack makers Frito-Lay Cheetos and Doritos, announced Thursday that it is producing a new version of the famous flame-colored snacks without artificial flavors or colors. The company produces updated set of snacks under the new Simply NKD brand December 1st and they won't look as bright and unnaturally colored as they have in the past.
Only the appearance of the snacks is changing, according to the company, which says the taste and crunch of the treats will be the same as before. This new line is not a replacement for the original neon-colored snacks, but rather an alternative for those who want to avoid artificial colors and flavors.
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The first products in the line will be Doritos Simply NKD Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch, as well as Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs and Flamin' Hot. If you feel the need to get them as soon as they become available, you can pre-order them now.
PepsiCo notes that the brand took just eight weeks to develop from concept to execution. Kraft Heinz says it will take two years before the company is ready do the same with his equally bright Jell-O and Kool-Aid..
Goodbye red paint #3.
These steps come in response to the Trump administration's efforts to Eliminate petroleum-based dyes from food; FDA banned Red dye number 3 in January 2025. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing for American food companies to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic food colors.
PepsiCo claims Simply NKD products are “completely colorless,” although the photos provided don't seem to support that claim. Cheetos appear yellowish-beige and Doritos resemble plain chips with no flavor.
But without their iconic, almost glow-in-the-dark colors, are they still the snack food we know and love? The distinctive colors certainly enhance the feeling of guilty pleasure.
It's unclear if they're still covered. Cheetlethe infamous sticky scented dust that makes it impossible to touch anything while cheating and coats your fingertips in an orange-tinged color that is very difficult to remove.
A PepsiCo spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
If anyone has been fooled into thinking that the new Simply NKD snacks are a health food, they should think again. PepsiCo has not released a list of ingredients for the Simply NKD line, but Puff Cheetosfor example, contain 200 mg of sodium and 13% of the recommended daily fat for just 13 or so puffs.
