Save Our Mac & Cheese
Posted August 25th, 2009 by Joan BladesSave our mac & cheese
Did you know that Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is formulated differently for countries in Europe than for the U.S.?1 I didn’t either until I read The Unhealthy Truth, a book about the toxicity of America’s food supply.
The fact is, that in 2008, Kraft removed artificial colorings, like yellow #5, and chemical sweeteners, like aspartame, from the products that they distribute in Europe, Australia, and other developed countries due to consumer concern over scientific studies that link these synthetic ingredients to hyperactivity and asthma in children. But, they haven’t done the same thing here in the U.S.!2 Our voices are needed to make that change here too.
We’d love to have you join us in writing to the Kraft CEO, Irene Rosenfeld, a mother of two herself, requesting that Kraft remove these same ingredients from their products here in the U.S.
http://action.momsrising.org/cms/letter/campaign_27297/
Kraft took these chemicals and additives out of their European products. If we want Kraft to do this for us in the U.S., then Kraft needs to hear from us!
Join us in sending Kraft CEO, Irene Rosenfeld, a letter asking that Kraft value the health of our children as highly as they value the children in other countries. And please then share this email with friends and family so that they too can send a letter.
The vast majority of American homes have Kraft products.3 Together, we can affect change and have these ingredients removed from the products that Kraft distributes here in the U.S.
Here’s that link again to sign on to the letter in case you need it:
http://action.momsrising.org/cms/letter/campaign_27297/
Thank you greatly for your time!
[1] http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/allergykids-asthma-autism-461108
[2] The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It, page 175 (Random House 2009); Robyn O’Brien.
[3] http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/assets/pdf/2008_Kraft_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Joan Blades is co-founder of MomsRising and MoveOn, as well as co-author of a forthcoming book titled The Custom-Fit Workplace, to be released Labor Day 2010.
30 Comments
August 25, 2009 at 11:26 pm by sueLet’s be careful here as I work with several families that can hardly pay for food on the table. Kraft Mac&Cheese is a staple of many low income family meals (although the generic version is likely preferred) because of its low cost, it taste good, and it can be mixed with things like hot dogs and other low cost meats. While some of you may have the luxury of affording more expensive and healthier products, these families are scraping every nickle and dime to have a filling, tasty dish that may even enable them to afford a fresh fruit treat for desert.
If our efforts to force Kraft to make changes in their product results in higher prices for these families, they will have to look to other food items. I would prefer that you get the word out and educate moms so that they can make an informed choice based on their budgets rather than coerce a food company to spend more on their product and pricing this option off of low income families’ tables. Many low income families I know balance more expensive healthy fresh fruits and vegetables with less expensive filling food like rice and pasta products to put a filling meal on their tables.
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August 25, 2009 at 9:44 pm by Adrienne D. HoutzThere are alternatives for just about every product without all the harmful chemicals. Sure, you will pay a bit more, but the alternative is to have poor health if you don’t eat what is good for you. Step it up Moms and Dads, find fast, healthy, home-cooked meals that you can feel secure feeding to your kids. Get a crock pot/slow cooker. Cook in advance, freeze meals. Not only will you end up spending less, you will eat healthier. If we don’t buy the chemical laden foods, the companies will have no choice but to bring you an alternative. Europe is well known for its stance against modifying the genetics of our food. It is available, and more popular than ever. Buy organic like our grandparents did. Grow your own, your kids will love it!
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August 25, 2009 at 5:29 pm by MichelleI have to agree with Tracy’s post, I refuse to support Kraft, stopped buying big company products as I started learning about how horrible they are. It would be nice if our GOVERNMENT would do something about the issue overall. I can’t imagine a single company is going to take the responsible route over the pocket book one.
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August 25, 2009 at 4:06 pm by JaneGo see Food Inc. It is a real eye opener about how broken our food system is. Very disturbing.
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August 25, 2009 at 3:12 pm by TracyForget Kraft. Why would you buy any of their products when there are safe, healthy, organic options like Annie’s available. I’m not going to waste my time trying to change a corporation that has shown time and time again that it doesn’t care about the health of my kids. I will vote with my dollar. I suggest MomsRising encourage its members to do the same. Buy local, buy organic, stop being part of America’s health problem.
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August 25, 2009 at 3:03 pm by Mary Alice JenningsUS families deserve the best products available. Kraft should step up or citizens should cease to buy their products until they do.
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August 25, 2009 at 2:48 pm by Judith McGovernWhy on earth would anyone even feed their children prepackaged, chemical macaroni and cheese when it is soooo easy to make your own with healthy ingredients that you have bought yourself. Time to do all this research on things that happen with big corporations but not time enough to boil water, make a roue, and mix milk and cheese together. Pitiful! Pitiful!
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August 25, 2009 at 2:44 pm by Stacey Pychow can I attach your emails or articles to my facebook page?
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August 25, 2009 at 1:38 pm by LeoraI just returned visiting family in England. I couldn’t help but notice the absence of high fructose corn syrup, which is so ubiquitous here, even in things like Rice Krispies, other “children’s” cereals, and candy. No high fructose anywhere that I could see. If they don’t have to have it, why do we?
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Judith McGovern Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
If you take a few minutes to look, you can find cereals, juices, cookies, etc. in your local grocery store that do not have high fructose corn syrup in it. Easy-going moms who let their kids have anything they want whenever they want it aren’t doing themselves or their kids any favors. How will your kids know how to make healthy choices for themselves if you don’t teach them how?
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Leora Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
@Judith McGovern,
My kids have long known how to read labels and make healthy choices. We never buy stuff with HFCS in it, but in particular, my kids have a yen for Rice Krispies. It would be nice, since I was able buy it in another country without HFCS, and since this topic seems to be about the same products being sold in other countries in slightly healthier versions, to be able to occasionally buy those versions here in the U.S.
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Guess the author didn’t bother with a Google search.
Since we can already buy this in the US, this petition isn’t doing anything.
Kraft Organic Macaroni & Cheese Dinner. $1.71 a box.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O7IVKK
Kraft sells the same exact product at many stores (Publix near me) as
Kraft “Back to Nature” Macaroni & Cheese Dinner for about $2/box.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Products/ProductInfoDisplay.aspx?SiteId=1&Product=5928340010
Regular Ingredients:
ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID); CHEESE SAUCE MIX (WHEY, MILKFAT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CITRIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MILK, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE). CONTAINS WHEAT, MILK.
Organic Ingredients:
Organic Macaroni Product (Made With Organic Semolina [From Wheat]), Organic Cheddar Cheese Sauce Mix (Organic Whey, Organic Skim Milk, Organic Cheddar Cheese [Cultured Pasteurized Organic Milk, Salt, Enzymes (Non-animal)], Salt, Organic Cornstarch, Yeast Extract, Annatto [Color].
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