Kraft Food Fight: How Bloggers May Force Kraft to Get Food Coloring Out of Mac'n'Cheese
![Kraft Mac'N'Cheese](https://d.medicaldaily.com/en/full/226697/kraft-macncheese.jpg?w=612&f=1472b3d526f4680bd77d6270a6813838)
Two food investigators took to their blogs and ordered Kraft, the global food giant, to cut out two chemical additives in their iconic original-recipe Macaroni and Cheese product after gaining 270,000 signatures in support.
The bloggers, Vani Hari and Lisa Leake, are asking Kraft to change their recipe to the easy-to-make food staple by cutting out Yellow #5 and Yellow #6, which are linked to hyperactivity and learning disorders in children, as well as possible risks of kidney and intestinal tumors based on animal studies.
The food company met with the bloggers at the headquarters for an hour to review the petition.
"Kraft told us they 'can't predict the future' of dyes in Macaroni & Cheese," Hari said in a statement.
Kraft still uses the controversial dyes in their U.S. version of the mac'n'cheese product. They dyes are banned in countries like Austria, Norway and other European nations. In the United Kingdom, Kraft offers an alternative, dye-free version of the meal.
After receiving the petition, Kraft posted an official response to their customers. In it, they listed out 14 varieties of mac'n'cheese they offer (out of 45 total mac'n'cheese products) that contain either no dye whatsoever or only natural food colors. In addition, the Kraft-issued documented stated that even when they do use artificial dyes, they only used dyes approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). According to Kraft (and the FDA's website), Yellow #5 in #6 have, in fact, been deemed safe by the FDA -- and by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Hari and Leake, who operate the Food Babe and 100 Days of Real Food blogs, respectfully, rebutted the statement and asked why the European labels don't call the additives safe and have warning labels on them.
The bloggers also pointed out the colorful cartoons are mostly geared toward children. "The average American consumer is not versed on reading and understanding ingredient labels so would not even be able to determine the difference among all these similar looking boxes and -- more importantly -- many likely don't realize these dyes are the culprit when it comes to their child's misbehavior and other health issues," they posted on their blogs.
The bloggers have caused a stir amongst the media and general public, but have not phased Kraft; there are no current plans to change the ingredients in their product, Kraft told The Guardian. Kraft added that they'll continue to listen to consumers.
The approval process for food additives are anything but easy. According to the FDA, any food additive petition has to undergo an 8-step procedure -- from establishing data and the additives' effects on physical and nutritional levels to proposing ways in curbing the use and include an environmental assessment.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, CSPI, said food dyes are putting the public at risk, and some of the dyes contain carcinogens and agents that cause allergic reactions and hyperactivity in children.
Previously, the food giant sought out collaborators during the Kraft Open Innovation event, hoping to find natural alternatives to Yellow #5 and #6, according to Food Navigator. Kraft stated publicly that it was interested in an alternative method to stain pasta yellow, withstand heat up to 205 degrees for 30 minutes, and have a shelf life of 12 months.
Here's a full list of 11 Controversial Food Additives that are approved but still create a feud between food companies and consumers.