CHESTER, N.J. — The French’s Food Co. said it has eliminated artificial flavors, colorants, dyes and high-fructose corn syrup from more than 90% of its products, including French’s Original Tomato Ketchup, Frank’s RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce and four Cattlemen’s BBQ Sauce varieties.
French's also announced it is introducing a pair of new products made with simple ingredients. A teriyaki sauce and marinade under the company's new premium Master’s Reserve product line and a new Cattlemen's brand Kentucky bourbon barbecue sauce are slated to debut in April 2016.
Going forward, the company said new products will be free of high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient more than half of consumers avoid or reduce in their daily diets, according to a report published this year by The Hartman Group. French’s classic yellow mustard, the company said, always has been made with “clean, simple ingredients.”
The changes are part of the Chester-based company’s broader commitment to clean labels and social responsibility. In addition to partnering with Save the Children, Autism Speaks and the Movember Foundation, French’s said it is working with Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, to provide 1 million meals to families in need during the 2015 holiday season. As part of its sustainability practices, French’s manufacturing site in Springfield, Mo., recycles all excess plastic and paper materials and contributes food waste to be used as animal feed.
“Credit our employees for this amplification of our values,” said Elliott Penner, president of The French’s Food Co. “They want to work for a company that only uses ingredients they are proud to serve their family and friends and a company that thrives to make a positive impact on their communities.”
Beginning in January, French’s new and reformulated products will bear a “promise seal” that signals the company’s pledge to “Great Taste, Real Ingredients, True Commitment to Our Communities.”
“This promise is not a one-off,” Mr. Penner said. “It’s a reflection of how we run our business every day. Delivering on this promise has been a challenge. In an era when so many companies are forced to cut costs by cutting corners, our model is to ask, ‘What can we do better?’ These are the decisions that make our company different. We’re not perfect, but taking this path forward is an achievement that makes us all very proud at French’s. Great taste, real ingredients and true commitment to our communities, that’s what this is all about.”
