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Kraft's mac & cheese controversy

Kraft's mac & cheese controversy
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  • Kraft's mac & cheese controversy

    Post #1 - April 6th, 2013, 12:48 am
    Post #1 - April 6th, 2013, 12:48 am Post #1 - April 6th, 2013, 12:48 am
    Hi- As many of you have heard there is a grass roots movement to try and get Kraft to remove the artificial yellow dyes from their mac & cheese. Kraft is holding its ground on this matter, and claims that people will quit buying it if it does not have the familiar orange color. Apparently the yellow dyes in question are banned in the UK, and there is something called the cheesy mac to take the place of their traditional mac and cheese. Kraft claims that people are used to eating orange mac and cheese, and will not touch the stuff if they are forced to take out the dyes. Here is a link to more information about this.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/kraft-ke ... ese-2013-4

    Apparently there is a petition on change.com, requesting that Kraft remove the dyes. Over 280,000 people have signed it. Should Kraft remove the dyes?

    Thanks, Nancy
  • Post #2 - April 6th, 2013, 5:15 am
    Post #2 - April 6th, 2013, 5:15 am Post #2 - April 6th, 2013, 5:15 am
    NFriday wrote:Hi- As many of you have heard there is a grass roots movement to try and get Kraft to remove the artificial yellow dyes from their mac & cheese. Kraft is holding its ground on this matter, and claims that people will quit buying it if it does not have the familiar orange color.


    I'm betting they are correct.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #3 - April 6th, 2013, 9:03 am
    Post #3 - April 6th, 2013, 9:03 am Post #3 - April 6th, 2013, 9:03 am
    It seems like the orangy color could be made with a natural substance. I do not know why they don't just make it with that. One that is vegetable based. I would prefer my food to be colored if it has to be, with a substance derived naturally.
    Toria

    "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - As You Like It,
    W. Shakespeare
  • Post #4 - April 6th, 2013, 9:58 am
    Post #4 - April 6th, 2013, 9:58 am Post #4 - April 6th, 2013, 9:58 am
    Annato, for example. That's how "real" cheddar cheese gets its color.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #5 - April 6th, 2013, 10:18 am
    Post #5 - April 6th, 2013, 10:18 am Post #5 - April 6th, 2013, 10:18 am
    Interesting article, thanks Nancy. That orange color is so closely associated with Kraft Mac and Cheese that they probably consider it part of their trademark, like the pink of Owens-Corning fiberglass insulation. That said, Kraft would be fools to not capitalize on the healthy foods craze by introducing a "natural" version with annato (as suggested above).

    As long as they don't mess with my Cheetos!

    Cheers, Jen
  • Post #6 - April 6th, 2013, 10:37 am
    Post #6 - April 6th, 2013, 10:37 am Post #6 - April 6th, 2013, 10:37 am
    stevez hit the nail on the head. As far as I know there is no naturally occurring orange cheese out there...it is all colored. Who and when was it decided that cheese should be orange?
  • Post #7 - April 6th, 2013, 12:06 pm
    Post #7 - April 6th, 2013, 12:06 pm Post #7 - April 6th, 2013, 12:06 pm
    I guess I'll go ahead and assume that the people feeding their kids mac & cheese from a box know what's best for children's health.
  • Post #8 - April 6th, 2013, 12:33 pm
    Post #8 - April 6th, 2013, 12:33 pm Post #8 - April 6th, 2013, 12:33 pm
    Not to throw gas on the fire, but is there any scientific evidence that the food coloring used today is any more dangerous than something like annatto?
  • Post #9 - April 6th, 2013, 1:00 pm
    Post #9 - April 6th, 2013, 1:00 pm Post #9 - April 6th, 2013, 1:00 pm
    zoid wrote:Not to throw gas on the fire, but is there any scientific evidence that the food coloring used today is any more dangerous than something like annatto?


    Sound the alarm(ists)!!
  • Post #10 - April 6th, 2013, 1:06 pm
    Post #10 - April 6th, 2013, 1:06 pm Post #10 - April 6th, 2013, 1:06 pm
    I don't understand why it isn't enough for the people who don't like the food coloring to just stop buying the product.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #11 - April 6th, 2013, 1:26 pm
    Post #11 - April 6th, 2013, 1:26 pm Post #11 - April 6th, 2013, 1:26 pm
    jvalentino wrote:
    zoid wrote:Not to throw gas on the fire, but is there any scientific evidence that the food coloring used today is any more dangerous than something like annatto?


    Sound the alarm(ists)!!


    ronnie_suburban wrote:I don't understand why it isn't enough for the people who don't like the food coloring to just stop buying the product.

    =R=


    I guess that's where I'm going - if the stuff is harmless then who cares - no one's forcing people to buy it.
  • Post #12 - April 6th, 2013, 1:35 pm
    Post #12 - April 6th, 2013, 1:35 pm Post #12 - April 6th, 2013, 1:35 pm
    zoid wrote:
    jvalentino wrote:
    zoid wrote:Not to throw gas on the fire, but is there any scientific evidence that the food coloring used today is any more dangerous than something like annatto?


    Sound the alarm(ists)!!


    ronnie_suburban wrote:I don't understand why it isn't enough for the people who don't like the food coloring to just stop buying the product.

    =R=


    I guess that's where I'm going - if the stuff is harmless then who cares - no one's forcing people to buy it.


    I agree and think people can and should choose with their money instead of making everything a grass roots movement.
  • Post #13 - April 6th, 2013, 7:49 pm
    Post #13 - April 6th, 2013, 7:49 pm Post #13 - April 6th, 2013, 7:49 pm
    razbry wrote:stevez hit the nail on the head. As far as I know there is no naturally occurring orange cheese out there...it is all colored. Who and when was it decided that cheese should be orange?


    Cecil Adams at The Straight Dope offers this insight: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1284/why-is-cheddar-cheese-orange
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #14 - April 6th, 2013, 7:58 pm
    Post #14 - April 6th, 2013, 7:58 pm Post #14 - April 6th, 2013, 7:58 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:I don't understand why it isn't enough for the people who don't like the food coloring to just stop buying the product.

    =R=


    Thank you, Ronnie. I love the concept of letting people just buy what they want. (Wish you were asked before they got rid of the beef tallow they once used in MacDonald's French fries.)

    Besides the accusations leveled against the food coloring include that it might cause kids to be hyperactive -- which, if it's true, seems like serving it comes with its own punishment.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #15 - April 7th, 2013, 2:11 pm
    Post #15 - April 7th, 2013, 2:11 pm Post #15 - April 7th, 2013, 2:11 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:I don't understand why it isn't enough for the people who don't like the food coloring to just stop buying the product.

    =R=


    Ron, isn't it more complicated than that when dealing with a food made for and marketed to children? Yes, the parents are paying for it, but the kids (and, yes, college students and 20-something liberal arts graduates) create the demand. Most parents are buying this stuff because their kids ask - or whine, or demand, or threaten to run away from home - for it. Am I not correct that, in a non-trivial sense, at least some parents believe that they cannot just stop buying the product. Perhaps these are weak parents.
    JiLS
  • Post #16 - April 7th, 2013, 3:04 pm
    Post #16 - April 7th, 2013, 3:04 pm Post #16 - April 7th, 2013, 3:04 pm
    JimInLoganSquare wrote:Ron, isn't it more complicated than that when dealing with a food made for and marketed to children?

    No, I don't think so. In fact, I think this is relatively black and white.

    There are so many brands of Mac & Cheese on the market, many of which likely meet the preferences of those doing the complaining here. They should switch brands.

    As a parent, there are times when I indulge my son and times when I am more strict about the things he eats (and does). But I cannot imagine ever demanding anything from any of the companies that manufacture the food he eats. If they don't meet our requirements or preferences, we buy something else. It really is that simple, at least for our family.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #17 - April 7th, 2013, 3:55 pm
    Post #17 - April 7th, 2013, 3:55 pm Post #17 - April 7th, 2013, 3:55 pm
    I'd have to agree with Ron. I have a (not quite) 2 year old son who loves "mac-cheese!" He doesn't care where it comes from though, he just wants soft pasta smothered in creamy cheese. We keep a few of the microwavable Kraft cups on hand for those nights when he just refuses food after food that we offer him and we have to resort to a fast back-up plan to get him fed because now he's hungry and cranky. Otherwise though if we need to do something from a box we go with one of the natural or organic Annie's varieties, which he loves just as much.

    Ideally though, we make it from scratch. I use a Tyler Florence recipe that substitutes butternut squash puree for the majority of the cheese in the dish, with just a bit of cheese melted on top. Our son can't tell that it's not cheese on there, and gobbles it down just as fast as any of the boxed stuff. We've made it when having other kids over as well, and they all just accept it as mac and cheese and eat away.
  • Post #18 - April 8th, 2013, 9:06 am
    Post #18 - April 8th, 2013, 9:06 am Post #18 - April 8th, 2013, 9:06 am
    It may merit a movement to get rid of it if, for example, it were to harm the people who make it - kind of like the buttery stuff (diacetyl) that causes terrible lung problems in the microwave popcorn factories (and apparently at least one consumer). Of course, the problem then is often that the offending substance is replaced with something else that might be even more dangerous....

    http://blogs.edf.org/nanotechnology/201 ... %E2%80%9D/
    Leek

    SAVING ONE DOG may not change the world,
    but it CHANGES THE WORLD for that one dog.
    American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog. http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org
  • Post #19 - April 8th, 2013, 9:35 am
    Post #19 - April 8th, 2013, 9:35 am Post #19 - April 8th, 2013, 9:35 am
    toria wrote:It seems like the orangy color could be made with a natural substance. I do not know why they don't just make it with that. One that is vegetable based. I would prefer my food to be colored if it has to be, with a substance derived naturally.


    While there are probably several reasons for this, with cost also being a very likely motivator, in this case the "natural" substitute, anatto, actually causes more incidence of allergic reaction than Yellows 5 or 6.

    /natural <> good for you. Just ask Socrates.

    mike
    Stickin' together is what good waffles do!
  • Post #20 - April 9th, 2013, 10:51 am
    Post #20 - April 9th, 2013, 10:51 am Post #20 - April 9th, 2013, 10:51 am
    Cynthia wrote:Thank you, Ronnie. I love the concept of letting people just buy what they want. (Wish you were asked before they got rid of the beef tallow they once used in MacDonald's French fries.)



    I remember that, and thought I noticed a real difference in the flavor- I didn't like it either. I'm pretty sure they put it back in, though. If you check the ingredients of either the fries or the hash browns, beef is on the list.
    Logan: Come on, everybody, wang chung tonight! What? Everybody, wang chung tonight! Wang chung, or I'll kick your ass!
  • Post #21 - April 9th, 2013, 12:21 pm
    Post #21 - April 9th, 2013, 12:21 pm Post #21 - April 9th, 2013, 12:21 pm
    bnowell724 wrote:
    Cynthia wrote:Thank you, Ronnie. I love the concept of letting people just buy what they want. (Wish you were asked before they got rid of the beef tallow they once used in MacDonald's French fries.)



    I remember that, and thought I noticed a real difference in the flavor- I didn't like it either. I'm pretty sure they put it back in, though. If you check the ingredients of either the fries or the hash browns, beef is on the list.


    This is the ingredient list for McDonald's fries:

    Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*, citric acid [preservative]), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.

    *(Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients).
  • Post #22 - April 9th, 2013, 12:28 pm
    Post #22 - April 9th, 2013, 12:28 pm Post #22 - April 9th, 2013, 12:28 pm
    "Natural beef flavoring" is a long way from using beef tallow to cook the fries.
    Unfortunately it's also just enough to royally tick off vegetarians, Kosher-keepers who might otherwise thing they're pareve, and Hindus.
    I'm none of those, but I abstain from McDonald's fries because I think they're much inferior to skin-on fresh-cut fries, even half-cooked limp ones.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #23 - April 9th, 2013, 4:23 pm
    Post #23 - April 9th, 2013, 4:23 pm Post #23 - April 9th, 2013, 4:23 pm
    Hi-I was away from home, and I did not have access to a computer for three days. I got home this afternoon, and logged on to LTH, and discovered there are 21 replies to my original post. Kraft"s argument is that they already manufacture an organic macaroni and cheese with white cheddar that does not contain the dyes, but I am not sure how readily available that is. These two women claim that the dyes are already banned in some other countries, including the UK, and that Kraft can just use the version that is used in the UK, but Kraft claims that it does not look the same, and people in this country will get turned off by it. I would much rather make my own, but I love to cook, and a lot of people don't.

    I also posted this link on the couponing board that I post on, and there were only four responses. Somebody there said that if people started buying another brand of mac and cheese that did not contain the yellow dye such as Annies, then maybe that would get Kraft's attention. Hope this helps, Nancy
  • Post #24 - April 10th, 2013, 8:56 am
    Post #24 - April 10th, 2013, 8:56 am Post #24 - April 10th, 2013, 8:56 am
    Hi- When I further researched this topic last night, I noticed that the two women who started the petition were on Dr. Oz a few weeks ago. Did anybody see them? I agree that Kraft macaroni and cheese, is not the healthiest thing, even with the dyes removed. When I make macaroni and cheese from scratch, I use a recipe that I found in Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites, and I use whole grain pasta. I used to use Cabot 50% less fat cheddar, but I can't find it anymore. I know they still make it, because I was at an art fair in downtown Evanston last summer, and Cabot was giving out free samples of it. They even gave me a package of it to take home. I can still find the 75% less fat cheese, which is not bad, but for macaroni and cheese, I prefer the 50% less fat cheese.
  • Post #25 - April 10th, 2013, 9:13 am
    Post #25 - April 10th, 2013, 9:13 am Post #25 - April 10th, 2013, 9:13 am
    NFriday wrote: I used to use Cabot 50% less fat cheddar, but I can't find it anymore.


    http://www.cabotcheese.coop/pages/our_p ... hp?catID=6
    "Goldie, how many times have I told you guys that I don't want no horsin' around on the airplane?"
  • Post #26 - April 10th, 2013, 3:17 pm
    Post #26 - April 10th, 2013, 3:17 pm Post #26 - April 10th, 2013, 3:17 pm
    Hi- I'll have to look again. I used to buy it at Whole Foods in downtown Evanston, and it was more reasonable there than Dominick's or Jewel, but now I think they only carry one type of cabot cheese, and it is not the 50% less fat cheese. Domiinick's carries the 75% less fat cheese. Thanks, Nancy
  • Post #27 - April 10th, 2013, 3:35 pm
    Post #27 - April 10th, 2013, 3:35 pm Post #27 - April 10th, 2013, 3:35 pm
    NFriday wrote:Hi-I was away from home, and I did not have access to a computer for three days. I got home this afternoon, and logged on to LTH, and discovered there are 21 replies to my original post. Kraft"s argument is that they already manufacture an organic macaroni and cheese with white cheddar that does not contain the dyes, but I am not sure how readily available that is.


    If that's the case, then this uproar is badly misdirected. Kraft has addressed the complainers' concerns. Perhaps the outrage should be directed at the retailers in an attempt to get them to carry the more natural product.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #28 - April 10th, 2013, 8:26 pm
    Post #28 - April 10th, 2013, 8:26 pm Post #28 - April 10th, 2013, 8:26 pm
    stevez wrote:Annato, for example. That's how "real" cheddar cheese gets its color.


    That's what I was thinking. Or turmeric, but annato/achiote seems like it would work better.

    Anyhow, with all the "poisons" I put in my body on a daily basis, yellow food coloring doesn't register on my scale, especially given how often I have Kraft mac & cheese (which barely approaches once a year.)
  • Post #29 - April 12th, 2013, 9:42 pm
    Post #29 - April 12th, 2013, 9:42 pm Post #29 - April 12th, 2013, 9:42 pm
    Hi- I was in the Jewel at Plaza Del Lago in Wilmette today, and looked at the mac and cheese there. This store which is smaller than most Jewel stores, had two Kraft mac and cheese products that did not have the yellow dye. One was Deluxe mac and cheese and the other was Velveeta. They both had natural coloring in them.

    BTW- The CVS at Plaza Del Lago just opened up. They have some grand opening specials.
  • Post #30 - April 15th, 2013, 3:03 pm
    Post #30 - April 15th, 2013, 3:03 pm Post #30 - April 15th, 2013, 3:03 pm
    stevez wrote:If that's the case, then this uproar is badly misdirected. Kraft has addressed the complainers' concerns. Perhaps the outrage should be directed at the retailers in an attempt to get them to carry the more natural product.

    I'm not even certain outrage is appropriate there, either.

    Retailers make mistakes, just as any business does, but I can't see retailers purposely not stocking a product that is in high demand. If there's latent demand, then the retailer should carry it out of self-interest; if the demand isn't there, I don't see why anyone should be outraged that they're not carrying a product that doesn't sell well. Either way, it feels like manufactured outrage to me, not least of all because you can buy it off Amazon.
    "I've always thought pastrami was the most sensuous of the salted cured meats."

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