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Reaction split over healthier Doritos and Cheetos snack brand ‘revolution’

January 29, 2026 | | Print Article

A debate has emerged over whether Doritos and Cheetos are the same now that they’ve been stripped of their artificial dyes.

PepsiCo, Cheetos and Doritos’ parent company, announced in November that they intended to release a new version — or “reinvention” — of both featuring no artificial dyes but allegedly tasting exactly the same.

“Doritos and Cheetos are pioneering a snacking revolution, or a renaissance, if you will,” PepsiCo CMO Hernán Tantardini said in a statement at the time, as reported by ABC News.

“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,” he added.

The new “flavors” have since been released and include Doritos Simply NKD Nacho Cheese, Doritos Simply NKD Cool Ranch, Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs, and Cheetos Simply NKD Flamin’ Hot.

The good news is that the brand’s original flavors still remain for sale.

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“Rest assured, our iconic Cheetos and Doritos remain unchanged,” Rachel Ferdinando, CEO of PepsiCo Foods U.S., said in a statement. “NKD is an additive 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. As part of our broader transformation, we are expanding choices while still protecting our iconic brands. More choices, same flavor, same brand power,” she added.

That said, not everybody is happy about the introduction of “new choices.” Some critics say the “new choices” frankly suck.

“They were disgusting,” a “customer” cited by the Daily Mail said. “Does not at all taste like a Nacho Cheese Dorito, not to mention they leave a gross taste in the mouth afterwards.”

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“The stomach problems I had after eating these was bad. I threw away both bags; that’s how bad they were,” the unnamed critic added.

“I really hoped they’d be good but disappointed in the flavor,” another critic reportedly wrote. “Not much Nacho flavor and no cheese dust on fingers. Yes, they removed useless dyes and color, but they lost flavor too.”

Mind you, for every critic, there were plenty of people who alleged the new “flavors” tasted exactly the same as the old ones:

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PepsiCo’s decision to remove artificial dyes from its products comes amid Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s push for all companies to rid themselves of artificial dyes.

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“Some companies [think PepsiCo] have responded to Kennedy’s request by reformulating products now and promising to ditch the dyes fully over time,” Reuters noted in a report filed this week.

“Compliance is voluntary on the federal level, though companies are now facing new and proposed state laws on the issue, adding to the pressure,” the report continued.

Vivek Saxena
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