Kraft has announced that this will be the last year in which they will use synthetic colors and artificial preservatives in their original version of Mach & Cheese. Starting with January the product will be colored using annatto, turmeric and paprika.
This initiative comes at a time when Kraft experiences poor demand from customers, who prefer to buy products from brands which are considered to be healthier. Consumer advocacy groups have also targeted Kraft demanding the company to stop using artificial food dyes in their products.
In March 2013 food activist Vani Hari, alss known as “Food Babe”, started a petition on Change.com in which he urged Kraft to remove dyes from the very popular products. The petition gathered over 365.000 signatures.
Lynne Galia, a spokeswoman for Kraft said that the changes are being made as an answer to the concerned expressed by the consumers, who demanded simpler ingredients and enhanced nutrition. She added that they are thinking about the fact that parents are concerned with the food their family consume and want to make sure that the food is safe.
The company already sells a version of Mach & Cheese which does not contain synthetic colors, preservatives or artificial flowers. The product is known as Mac & Cheese Boxed Shapes. Starting with next year other varieties of the product such as Easy Mac, Original Cups, Shape Cups and Premium Flavors will no longer contain any artificial or synthetic compounds.
According to Galia the changes for the Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese will start with January 2016 in the US. By the end of 2006 synthetic colors will also be removed from the Kraft Dinner Original in Canada.
Heather White, the executive director of the advocacy organization for health and environmental issues known as Environmental Working Group, congratulated Kraft’s initiative and said that it should be an example for other companies. White remarked:
“The announcement from Kraft should be a wake-up call for other food manufacturers to take notice, go back to the drawing board, reformulate and get rid of these synthetic ingredients of concern, especially in food that is marketed to children.”
According to the company they have worked for quite some time to change the product because they had to make sure that no change in taste would be noticed. That’s why the company did not hurry to make the changes so fast.
Image Source: Spicy Southern Kitchen
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