Kraft Heinz Introduces JELL-O Simply With No FD&C Colors or Artificial Sweeteners

Kraft Heinz has announced JELL-O Simply, a new U.S. line of ready-to-eat gelatin, gelatin mixes and instant pudding mixes that the company says will be made without FD&C colors or artificial sweeteners. The announcement, dated May 19, 2026, puts a familiar dessert brand’s reformulation plans into the summer grocery conversation, while leaving several practical questions for shoppers to answer from the package in front of them.

What the announcement covers

The new range is split between products that are ready to eat and products that still need to be prepared at home. Kraft Heinz describes the ready-to-eat gelatin as made with real fruit juice, with 25% less sugar than the original sugar-based gelatin snacks. The company also lists Orange, Raspberry Lemonade and Blueberry for that part of the line.

The gelatin and instant pudding mixes are a separate part of the launch. Kraft Heinz says those products are planned for nationwide U.S. availability in August 2026, in Vanilla, Chocolate, Banana and Strawberry. The announcement describes the mixes as using ingredients such as real vanilla, real cocoa, real banana and real strawberry juice, depending on the flavor. That is a product description, not an independent finding about taste, nutrition or performance in a home kitchen.

The important wording is narrower than the headline

No FD&C colors and no artificial sweeteners are specific claims. They do not mean that every JELL-O product is changing, that the new desserts contain no additives, or that the line should be treated as a health product. The release also does not provide a complete nutrition comparison for every flavor. The 25% sugar figure applies to the ready-to-eat gelatin against the original sugar-based gelatin snacks named by the company; it should not be read as a general claim about the entire range.

That distinction matters because packaged desserts are often bought for different reasons. A parent may be looking for a simpler ingredient list, a cook may want a dependable ingredient for a chilled dessert, and another shopper may be tracking total sugar or a particular allergen. One change in a formulation cannot answer all three questions. The current ingredient list, nutrition facts, allergen statement and preparation directions on the product package remain the useful checks.

What home cooks should check

If the new mixes reach a store near you, compare the JELL-O Simply label with the product you would otherwise buy rather than relying on the front-of-pack wording alone. Check the serving size as well as the sugar line, and read the full ingredient and allergen information for the specific flavor. Formulations can differ between ready-to-eat cups and dry mixes, so a claim made for one format should not automatically be applied to the other.

For a dry mix, follow the package instructions for the liquid, heating or chilling steps. Do not assume that a reformulated dessert sets in the same time or can be stored in the same way as a different flavor or format. Once a prepared dessert is made, use the label’s refrigeration and use-by directions, keep it cold when instructed, and avoid serving it to anyone with an allergy unless the current package information is clear for that person. These are ordinary precautions, but they are more reliable than a marketing phrase or a memory of the older recipe.

Part of a wider Kraft Heinz change

Kraft Heinz frames JELL-O Simply as one step in a broader commitment to remove FD&C colors from its U.S. portfolio by the end of 2027. That context explains why the announcement is about more than a single new flavor: it is also a progress marker for a company-wide reformulation programme. The release presents the change as a response to consumer interest in simpler ingredient lists, but that market rationale is Kraft Heinz’s own framing rather than an independent CookingScope assessment.

The announcement does not say that the original JELL-O products are all being discontinued, and it does not promise that the new line will taste or set exactly like every older product. It says JELL-O Simply is a permanent addition to the portfolio, with the ready-to-eat products described as available nationwide and the mixes scheduled for August 2026. Availability can still vary by store and country, so shoppers outside the United States should not assume that the U.S. timetable applies locally.

CookingScope’s takeaway

JELL-O Simply is a genuine product announcement, but it is not a test result. Kraft Heinz has supplied the launch date, the product formats, the named flavors and its formulation claims; it has not supplied independent kitchen testing in this announcement. The useful consumer response is therefore simple: treat the launch as a reason to read the new label, not as a shortcut for deciding whether a dessert fits your diet, allergy needs or cooking plan.

Source: The Kraft Heinz Company announcement, May 19, 2026.

Sources

• Official source 1
• https://news.kraftheinzcompany.com/press-releases-details/2026/JELL-O-Ushers-in-a-New-Era-with-Introduction-of-JELL-O-Simply-Made-with-No-FDC-Colors-or-Artificial-Sweeteners/default.aspx