Papa John's Getting Rid Of Artificial Flavors

(RTTNews) - Papa John's Pizza (PZZA) is getting rid of artificial flavors and synthetic ingredients from its menu, becoming the first U.S. pizza chain to make such a move.

Papa John's had earlier committed to bring "better ingredients" to its food menu. The latest decision covers all pizza ingredients, pizza toppings, dessert items, and sauce selections, the company said.

The company had in December announced that it will use antibiotic-free chicken in its pizzas starting this summer. The company has also decided to not add fillers in its core meat toppings or MSG or partially hydrogenated oils and trans-fats in its foods.

"We closed out 2015 announcing our commitment to serve chicken raised without antibiotics and are ringing in the New Year artificial-flavor and synthetic-color free," said Sean Muldoon, Papa John's Senior Vice President of Research and Development.

The company invests upwards of $100 million each year to improve the quality of its products, the company said in a statement.

PZZA is currently trading at $49.83, up $1.14 or 2.34%, on the Nasdaq.