Papa John's pizza
Artificial colors, high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives are some of the ingredients removed from Papa John's menu items.

LOUISVILLE, KY. — Menu items from Papa John’s International, Inc. no longer contain 14 ingredients that the company originally vowed to remove in June 2015. The Louisville-based pizza chain announced the accomplishment Oct. 4 in a letter from John Schnatter, chairman and chief executive officer.

Artificial colors no longer found in the menu items are synthetic beta-carotene, caramel color, corn syrup solids and titanium dioxide as a color enhancer. Artificial vanillin has been removed as well as the flavor enhancers disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, hydrolyzed corn/soy protein and autolyzed yeast.

Sweeteners removed were high-fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. Preservatives removed were calcium propionate and phosphoric acids. Papa John’s no longer uses maltodextrin as a thickener in its menu items.

“We have completed the full removal of these unwanted ingredients across our entire food menu,” Mr. Schnatter said in his letter addressed to “Dear fellow pizza lovers.” “We continue to be a brand leader when it comes to clean ingredients by achieving key milestones on our promise of better ingredients, better pizza, which was pledged over 30 years ago. We are incredibly proud of the work we have done, and continue to do, to fulfill this promise.”