The thousands of letters I have received from parents whose children have benefited from the removal of artificial food dyes are ringing in my ear this morning. We finally did it.
Kraft Dumps Artificial Food Dye After Massive Petition
Kraft is removing all artificial food dye from every kind of their mac & cheese by 2016. Millions of families across the United States and Canada will finally get the same safer versions that have been available in Europe for years. The double standard is finally ending for one iconic product and hopefully several more. A million boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese are sold everyday – that’s a lot of artificial food dye finally being eliminated from the North American food supply. We have a lot more work to do in this area but we are making some serious progress.
Please consider removing this additive from your diet because artificial dyes…
- Are man-made in a lab with chemicals derived from petroleum (a crude oil product, which also happens to be used in gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, and tar).
- Require a warning label in other countries outside the US that states “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
- Have been banned in countries like Norway and Austria (and are being phased out in the UK).
- Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 can be contaminated with known carcinogens (a.k.a. an agent directly involved in causing cancer).
- Cause an increase in hyperactivity in children.
- Have a negative impact on children’s ability to learn.
- Have been linked to long-term health problems such as asthma, skin rashes, and migraines.
- Add absolutely no nutritional value to the foods we are eating and are used solely for aesthetic purposes.
- Are being consumed at an alarming rate! The new Purdue University study shows the extreme amounts of dyes being used in everyday foods here in the U.S now vs. when they were approved for use. They believe that with a combination of foods, kids “could easily consume 100 mg of dyes in a day”, which is well over the amount shown to cause reactions.
My heart goes out to everyone who is fighting for a safer food system, especially every one of you that signed this petition (all 365,000+ of you!), and of course the #FoodBabeArmy who has been actively working for this change for 2 years!
This is a revolution, consumers voices are finally being heard!
Xo,
Vani
Official Press Release:
KRAFT DROPS ARTIFICIAL DYES IN ALL MAC & CHEESE PRODUCTS AFTER PETITION DRIVE BY FOOD ACTIVIST VANI HARI
- Kraft Foods pledges to phase out artificial yellow dyes and synthetic preservatives from Mac & Cheese after 365,000 people back food blogger Vani Hari’s Change.org campaign and The Food Babe Way book hits #1.
CHARLOTTE, NC – More than 365,0000 health advocates, consumers, and concerned families are celebrating the success of a popular petition led by activist and New York Times Best Selling Author Vani Hari. Faced with intense public scrutiny, Kraft Foods has just announced plans to remove artificial yellow dyes from all Macaroni & Cheese products by 2016.
Vani Hari, petition author and founder of FoodBabe.com, celebrated Kraft’s announcement. “This is a revolution – consumers voices are finally being heard.”
“This is a crucial first step on removing an unnecessary but potentially harmful additive from the food supply, millions of children could be affected by these artificial food dyes,” said Hari. In Europe, artificial food dyes require a warning that states; “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” This is required because of scientific studies conducted by European Safety Officials.
The Center for Science in The Public Interest has petitioned the FDA to ban these artificial food dyes because risks include hyperactivity in children, cancer (in animals studies) and allergic reactions. The British government and European Union have taken actions that are virtually ending the use of dyes throughout Europe.
“Consumers have been telling us, and parents in particular, that they want to feel good about the foods that they eat and that they serve their families,” Triona Schmelter, Kraft’s vice president of marketing for meals, told the Chicago Tribune.
Kraft’s announcement comes as many companies are removing artificial food dyes, including Hershey’s and Nestle.
“To be part of such a monumental turning point in the removal of artificial food dyes from the food system and to help raise up the voices of over 365,000 people is an incredible honor,”
“I hope Kraft’s decision to remove these artificial food dyes from Mac & Cheese continues throughout their entire product line including JELLO, Kool Aid and across the industry,” commented Ms. Hari.
“This is a real turning point for the food system – I thank the hundreds of thousands who joined the petition and the researchers and activists who have been pushing for this across the world for many years.”
The food industry, of course, is not too happy about this kind of activism. After Ms. Hari’s book The Food Babe Way hit best selling status (which included several chapters on the risks associated with consuming food industry additives and the introduction dedicated to her activism at Kraft), they have started a campaign to attempt to discredit Ms. Hari and her followers. Some recent articles about her have failed to report that many other consumer, environmental and health groups, plus eminent scientists and doctors, are also targeting these the same synthetic ingredients. These stories also fail to report that these same substances have been tightly regulated or banned in Europe and other nations based on science.
Thank you so much for fighting for good food! Unfortunately I am disabled and on a really tight budget. Macaroni and Cheese is a regular staple in my diet. I can’t afford Kraft though, I have to buy the store brand. Do you think you can make ALL of them remove the colors? It’s really nice that the rich people can have macaroni and cheese with no dyes but what about us poor people? We should have good food too. Will you fight for us?
Try making your own. It’s cheaper per serving then Kraft and just as easy. Boil noodles when done add a pat of butter a splash of milk and whatever cheese you want. Melt everything together. I haven’t bought Mac & cheese in years!
Here’s one way to make it at home with some veggies thrown in too! Real food will help you stay full longer than this processed food. https://foodbabe.com/2013/10/29/why-this-family-will-never-make-this-popular-staple-ever-again/
Also here are some organic budget tips that may help – https://foodbabe.com/2013/05/20/how-to-eat-organic-on-a-budget/
I like to add cauliflower, peas, butternut squash, kale (chopped finely and it goes unnoticed). But I love kale. Broccoli is a fun addition as well. Anything that is green is great in mac n cheese. Keep up the great work
Just saw the announcement on the NBC nightly news!
The report never said why the have decided to remove the dyes & artificial stuff, but as soon as I heard I knew. … Food Babe & Food Babe Army!!!
Great Job
My grocery budget is $40 a week. I looked at all your tips for eating on a budget but it’s really a lot to understand and remember. Can you put together a list for me? I went to an organic grocer here and their chicken is 12.99 a pound, the beef is even more expensive. A box of mac n cheese is only $.39 plus a little milk and margarine. And it makes me 2 meals! I like it with broccoli but regular broccoli is $.69 a pound and organic broccoli is $3.99 a pound. I just don’t think I can do it. It makes me cry because if I could eat all organic, non GMO, no dangerous chemicals then I might not be sick and disabled and I could get a job and have enough money to buy all organic, non GMO, non dangerous chemicals. And maybe I wouldn’t have to get a flu shot either. My doctor tells me to get one every year but my brother told me they were bad so a didn’t get one 3 years ago but I caught the flu and cause I have asthma it got really bad and the ambulance took me to the hospital cause my lungs flattened and they had to put me on a ventilator. They said it was pneumonia and I could have died. I want to eat good, I really do, it’s not fair. I bet none of this would happen to me if I were rich and could eat good.
I was raised on that stuff.
However, it has no nutritional value with or without the dye and refined flour is toxic.
Organic brown rice noodles and a decent hard cheese (I year aged minimum) would be acceptable. It doesn’t give you much in the way of nutrition but at least it won’t harm you like that boxed garbage.
I feel that people shouldn’t use their economic status as a crutch for any lack of anything. If you have the will and faith you will find the way. Making your own Mac and cheese is super easy and can be affordable. And more so, you should invest your money into veggies and fruits than Mac n cheese if you’re so worried about good food and asking The Food Babe to fight for you. You obviously have Internet access so instead of using self pity to get your point across, try using positive energy to search the web and go to the library to find books on organic ways and foods and ways to make your own Mac n cheese and foods free of artificial dyes and chemicals.
It’s so easy for someone with money to say that someone without is “using it as a crutch for the inability to eat “The Food Babe Way”. That’s really the first time I’ve heard someone declare that the lack of money is no excuse for not having things that cost money. I offer you a challenge. Buy a weeks worth of organic, non GMO, no harmful chemical groceries for $40. And no, you can’t dig through their trash bin after dark. Minimum 1500 calories a day, which is a diet level but sustainable. Put YOUR money where your mouth is. Vani offered me a recipe to make my own mac n cheese, I’m off to Good Harvest to see how much it will cost. Is Organic grass fed Nubian Goats Milk Cheddar Cheese even a thing? Almost forgot. Faith you say? I guarantee I can pray until the grass fed organic cows come home and God will not rain any sort of groceries on me. However the church does have a food pantry where they offer cheap white bread, donuts, non organic peanut butter, canned green beans and…………. store brand macaroni and cheese. Maybe we should picket them!
Way to mock someone who is obviously not very bright….. she is asking for help, not ridicule. I guess compassion is not required to be in the army…..
Ok folks, it’s been fun but I have a life to live. Let me just point out that while you may have contributed to the removal of a coloring agent from a food that you won’t eat anyway, there are thousands of starving children who die from a complete lack of food (shame on them for using their economic status as a crutch). Thousand of children right here in the states are grateful to have one meal a day of Top Ramen. People are being beheaded in the middle east, women are sold into marriage, seniors are abused and neglected, small children are used as sex slaves, climate change is real, and so on and so forth. You guys go ahead and high five each other for your remarkable contribution to the human race. But do attempt to understand why the rest of the world sees you as self righteous and petty.
Assuming makes an — of anyone who chooses to go that route. And Andrea you have clearly chosen to live that route. Please do not put words in my mouth or attempt to twist my opinions and feelings that I kindly shared with no mailiciousness to benefit yourself or suit you. Please also do not put my words up against your list of world issues, none of which I touched on or directed my words to. I specifically addressed my feelings to your post and what you chose to broadcast in that post. So please keep this on the issue at hand. I hope you do see the positive advice I was giving (i.e. Directing positive energy to better solutions, visiting a library, searching the Internet for recipes and affordable organic non-GMO ways (which btw I never ONCE was referring to or singling out only abiding by the Food Babe “way”), etc.) At the end of the day, to each his own. I, too, have a life to live so I will leave you with an inspiring quote…
“Better to be thought of a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt.” -Abraham Lincoln.
Instead of asking Vani to fight for you, why don’t you try it yourself? Call or write the store brand company and ask that they also remove artificial dyes like Kraft is. I’m sure they want to compete with Kraft mac and cheese so they may do so.
YAY NO FOOD DYES! But are they using GMO grains?
That’s wonderful, but why aren’t they doing it NOW? Maybe they can stop using glyphosate-soaked wheat flour to make the pasta by 2025?
You rock Vani and the Food Babe army. You are my ideal.
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Food Babe Army!!!!!!!!!
What great news!! Very cool…and happy to report that I signed the original petition back when it was first shared! 🙂 Hopefully other companies will follow suit and someday artificial dyes in food will be a thing of the past! Thanks for the great work, Vani!
LeAnn – That’s amazing 🙂 That was over 2 years ago – so happy to have you along for this journey. Thank you so much for all the wonderful work you do in this world.
One person – you – CAN make a difference.
Can you please start working on fixing world hungar?
YAY!!! Thank you for your persistence in this issue, Vani! I try to make my own m&c whenever I have the time and the ingredients on-hand, but every few months I still resort to the ease and convenience of the boxed version, and Kraft’s is the only one my daughter likes. So glad it will be a safer option now! You are the best!
My Aunt would make an old weight watchers recipe using:
Mac and Cheese. A can of drained tuna and a can of crushed tomatoes. It is so, so good!
Great News!!! But all the other news outlets seem to be reporting that only the Original Mac n Cheese will be dye free in January 2016. Did you receive word that the other Kraft Mac n Cheese products will be dye free? Thanks!
YAY!!!
we CAN make a difference-
and don’t ever think that we cannot!!!
it is quite telling (and very sad- but not surprising)
that so many corrupt scientists and other poison-selling shills
are coming out of the woodwork to discredit Vani…
A HUGE WELL DONE AND THANK Y O U WHAT YOU DO !
A HUGE WELL DONE AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO Vani
Congrats Vani!! Happy for what you do.
It’s one thing to have conviction, and quite another to have the energy to take change to the next level. Thanks for all you have done and continue to do. Your book was a real wake-up call … I’m awake now, but haven’t done anything about the new knowledge as yet, seems too overwhelming to throw away the food crutch. But I know I must.
I am so happy, that is really a big win in the food industry. You go girl, I read all you blogs, bought your book, introduce some changes in your book. Not easy but I can do most of them already, I still have some work to do. The world will be a better place, this is one giant step in the right direction.
VANI!
Wonderful news!! This is so needed, I am just so happy about this!
My 8 yr. old son had a horrible reaction to Kraft Mac & Cheese – and I’m quite positive it’s due to the yellow #5 in this ‘foodstuff’. Unsuspecting grandparents providing this supposed ‘treat’ turned out to be a week + of horrible cough due to inflammation – this stuff is horrible! I cringed when I saw what they fed him, as I never feed this junk to my kids, so hearing this news made my day! I can’t follow my kids all around their whole life, keeping them from eating crappy ‘foodstuff’, so knowing that the Krap & Cheese will at least get rid of some of the Krap – really makes me glad for all the kids that eat this and don’t realize how damaging it is to them – let alone completely non-nourishing!
You are The Babe, Babe!!!!!!! Thank You!
Way to go!! Great work Vani! Thanks SO much!
Thank you Vani. I try hard to do my part in sharing information about GMO’s with co-workers and family. I am so very appreciative of all you do. I have been following you for a few years. Since then I have become 99% organic. I have notived more and more organic items in the store and the produce department representive said they are striving for more. You have made a big difference to many. Congratulations! Hey Vani, have you thought of selling “I Am A Food Babe Soldier” tee- shirts?
I’ll buy one.
This is a wonderful break through! Happy dancing here. Keep on trail blazing and let’s get our food supplies healthy.
CONGRATULATIONS VANI!!!! THIS IS A MONUMENTAL FEAT!!! THANK YOU
Congratulations for all victories, big and small !
I’m so proud of you! Can I say that? I am. I can’t wait to dump more chemicals from our food system. You rock!
Yay! You are amazing!!
I am wondering if you are going to start recommending Kraft Food products now? I think I already know the answer.
In regards to your wheat comment to Lisa.
Grains are bad for the intestines. Processed white flour is toxic.
Never mind glyphosates and GMO’s.
Grains may be bad for the intestines for some people, those with celiac for sure. However to say that grains are bad for the intestines of everybody and white flour is toxic for everybody is not at all true.
Since you mentioned my comment about wheat to Lisa, curiously it is gone. Sometimes the truth is not acceptable on this website.
Jeff , can you please explain to me how grains are “bad.” People have been eating grains for thousands of years, wouldn’t we have figured it by now?
I suspect your email was deleted due to the tone.
Enjoys your grains!
If you’ve been told to die of cancer I suspect that your statements are not as respectful as you think.
I found your comment to Lisa to be condescending and belittling.
And because it was deleted I suspect I’m not alone.
Have a great day!
If condescending and belittling was really the reason for posts being deleted then there would be many more which you agree with that would disappear as well.
Hip hip hooray for us! What a great team this army is, with our Babe leading the charge. Step by baby step, we can help provide choices for a healthier direction. My kids have suspicions about their healthier meals, but we are making a difference! My husband has no clue how much organic and non-GMO food he is eating; he just knows he feels better!
I’m smiling ear-to-ear at the thought of how many millions of children who won’t develop asthma, allergies or intestinal permeability by this effort. I can’t wait to share the good news with my patients!
This is a MASSIVE victory, Vani – thanks for all that you do
SUPER SUPER SUPER CONGRATS !
I am proud of the work you are doing Vani. Keep it up. You are making a difference and not very many of us can say that.
How exciting!! Continue the great work you are doing Vani!
Thank you for all you do!!
That’s awesome. Now how about the gmos? Baby steps, right Kraft? I still wouldn’t feel good about serving their junk to my children. This is a big step though. Every positive change adds up!
Kudos for the job well done! keep up with the good work but please be careful, you are indeed making a difference and your hard work and dedication is indeed intimidating and upsetting some special interest groups. Warm regards.
Eray
I wolfed down Kraft Mac and Cheese by the truckload when I was in college. Here’s to the next generation eating dye-free!
Thank you so much for what you are doing.
Queation
How do you vet products before recommending them as healthy.
Some of the products you recommend are not on my Feingold Diet listing.
Feingold food selection process: [ if a product looks clean on the label they write the manufacturer to be sure chemicals we avoid are not in the packaging or secondary ingredients. If the company fails to respond it does not go on the approved list] The Feingold Diet avoids artificial colors, flavors, BHA, BHT & TBXQ and lists corn syrup, MSG etc when present. Products containing salicylates . Anyone can send in the wrapper from a product that looks promising.
This is AWESOME! Go Food Babe!!
It appals me that the food industry is trying their hardest to take you down. They’re supposed to be selling FOOD, after all, not chemical-laden, overly-processed ‘Food’. The Europeans get the good stuff, because they have fought for it and have governments that are truly by and for the people (by and large); if our government won’t (and let’s face it—it probably never will, unless the wonderful Green Party miraculously gets elected) do it for us, then we simply must do it ourselves.
That said, I’m still moving to Europe either way. ;D
Well said. Wish I could jump in your suitcase!;)
Hi,when you move take a lifetime of suppliments with you as most are banned in the EU,not so progressive as you may think,good luck.
Thank you, Vani. You have all the guts. Keep going, girl.
Thanks so much for your efforts Vani. But really, from my perspective:
Dear Kraft,
As far as I’m concerned you may as well continue putting your toxic dyes into your products. There’s so much more that’s wrong with the crap you dish out, I won’t be buying any of it any time soon.
Cheers,
bman
CONGRATS VANI on a job well done!
Wow! This is great news! Thank you! and congratulations!!!
You are my hero Vani! Keep up the great work. This is a huge battle; don’t ever forget all the support you have. God Bless!
This is fantastic! Just saw this on ABC Evening News only to open my email to this! Love it!
As an individual that has 2 grandkids and as a signatory of the petition I say great for this victory,now on to more!
Job well done! Many congrats!
Vani, let’s keep the ball rolling. God’s blessings to you and all who support this cause.
Lead on Vani. I am proud to be following and glad to be benefiting.
This is good news!. Another thought however is to simply avoid Krafts pasta’s altogether but, I know that they are “quick meals” for parents on the go for their kids.
You are the best Vani. Keep going after Kraft and the other companies that are poisoning peoplr who.buy their products.
Saw this on the news today and thought it had to be your good work! Great news!
Hard work exposing what is in our food- thank you so much for all you do!
Vani, thanks for all the good that you are doing. I have just read about the companies that make food flavors and the fact that they include aborted fetuses in their process. I wish the American people would put enough pressure on these companies to end the practice of using aborted babies.
You’re the FoodBabe and you rock! Thank you for all your hard work!