Kraft Mac & Cheese Warning Label Published by NY Times
What’s considered the most respected newspaper in the world today published the Kraft warning label that a Food Babe reader found in the UK on an imported US box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. I want to thank the NY Times for investigating and broadcasting this label to the world and millions of Americans in their newspaper and online for everyone to see. This is a huge victory in food awareness! Given all the media coverage since March, it is now becoming blatantly apparent that there are serious concerns with the ingredients in Kraft Mac & Cheese. Everyone who reads the NY Times today will see the 2 warnings: Warning #1: This Product May Cause Adverse Effects On Activity And Attention In Children (This warning label is required because The US version of Kraft Mac & Cheese has artificial food dyes yellow #5 and yellow #6 which are proven to be linked to hyperactivity in children.) Warning #2: GMO Declaration: Made from genetically modified wheat. (May contain GMO) (This warning label is required because the US version of Kraft Mac & Cheese contains GMOs.)
Kraft is backpedaling There was quite a bit of speculation about this label last week. Many people on the internet questioned if it was real and where it came from. According to the report in the NY Times we can now conclude the following: We know that Kraft does not label, distribute or export the US version of Mac & Cheese officially. (To echo my quote in The NY Times, I find it extremely bizarre that Kraft had no knowledge of their products being sold and widely available in one of the largest retailers in the world (Tesco) and are trying to pass this off as a black market supply.) Kraft has confirmed they do not use GMO wheat. (However, no one to my knowledge has tested the product to verify this 100%, which is important considering the contamination of GMO wheat in Oregon. Kraft customer service confirmed use of other GMOs in their products. Given all the public statements that Kraft has made to the media about this label so far – they have not attempted to refute one important fact – Their product “May Cause Adverse Effects On Activity And Attention In Children.” This is truth they can’t deny. Tesco who sells the US version of Kraft Mac & Cheese in their “World Foods” section confirmed the label is placed on by the distributor – Innovative Bites. The case is still not solved. THERE IS STILL A MAJOR QUESTION UNANSWERED. No one has been able to get in touch with distributor Innovative Bites (including me) to find out why they used the words “made with genetically modified wheat” on the label.
Lynne Galia, the spokeswoman I met at Kraft headquarters when I delivered thousands of signatures, has still not responded to me directly. She will not answer my emails or my phone calls. She will gladly talk to the NY Times and other news agencies, but not to me or the other 290,000 people I represent who signed a petition asking Kraft to remove artificial food dyes. I find it bizarre that Kraft wouldn’t genuinely want to answer basic questions about their product – especially after I posted this concerning information that could have health implications to millions of people and children.How can we continue to trust a company like Kraft that is more concerned about making greedy business decisions to keep their market share and paying their executives millions of more dollars year after year, while neglecting enormous public outcry regarding their flagship product?
How can we continue to trust a company that continues to not take responsibility for their product containing petroleum based dyes and GMOs? How can we continue to trust an American company that reformulates their products without harmful ingredients to our friends overseas but not to us?
How can we continue to trust a company that ignores 290,000 people and is scared to have a basic civilized conversation?
Petition
I want to leave you with a clarification note I received from Flo (who is definitely a hero for finding this label!) She would like to share her unedited thoughts about Kraft Mac & Cheese here:
“I’ve been eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for a long time now and have grown to enjoy the product, much like many others I’m sure. However with these recent discoveries of the yellow dyes and their effects as well as the GM wheat and GMOs, I’ve become very concerned. I have continued to eat Kraft macaroni and cheese in moderation knowing the effects it may have, however I’m certainly considering stopping if the ingredients aren’t changed. I’m worried about the long term effects it may have and really hope that Kraft can find a way to alter the ingredients, making them safer and healthier, without it having an effect on the taste of the product. Mainly, I’m concerned that children around the world may be eating this without knowing the effects it could have. Also, I would like to thank the New York Times for publishing the photo and not dismissing it as fake.”~ Flo Wrightson Cross
If you haven’t already, please sign this petition, continue to vote with your dollars, and spread this knowledge about Kraft with your friends and family.
First of all, this is wonderful that people are finally really stepping up to say how food dye can affect children. That being said, I have a mentally handicapped son who is affected by food dye all colors especially red 40 and yellow, msg, nitrates, BHT, EDTA. All of these preservatives cause him to have a seizure effect that even seizure meds do not control. They are kept out of his diet. I do feel that this attack on Kraft alone is kind of off, what about all the other companies, the candy, soda, cereal, etc. It is in all of these products from fast food to boxed food to frozen, etc. Look up ingredients hiding MSG on line and you will soon learn that there are a lot of ingredients you didn't even realize had MSG in it, that in my opinion cause hyperactivity and other affects in children. These hidden ingredients are even in BABY FOOD. It is way out of control.
I think the whole idea is, "if" we can get a major corporation like Kraft to acknowledge the problem and change the harmful ingredients to something safer and healthier, other lesser corporations will follow. It is not about picking on one and not the others, it is about effectively promoting change from the top down.
In the same sense it is also hard to avoid Soy. It causes a drop in testosterone which can lead to depression like symptoms (gasp). There are many things in the common American diet which are causing the many health problems we have.
this is why making our own baby food is the best and alot healthier...our children are worth it and when it comes to food it should come from the home and stuff we know that is natural. Ever think of all those soda's that are making us fat ??
Holly cow I have finally found a place where folks actually grow their own food and do not eat out. Get real this is a shot at a large company. If you eat out at any fast food or restaurant them you are getting GMO grains and vegetables. If you buy your food at the local grocery store their is a major possibility that it is a GMO based food. I am not one to say GMO's are good by no means but wake up folks like the title says. If you do not grow your own and raise your own then you really have no clue what went into growing or raising it. Look it up on the USDA web page and see what is allowed to be called "All Natural, or Organic" it will shock you.
http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/food-dye-adhd
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, this is wonderful that people are finally really stepping up to say how food dye can affect children. That being said, I have a mentally handicapped son who is affected by food dye all colors especially red 40 and yellow, msg, nitrates, BHT, EDTA. All of these preservatives cause him to have a seizure effect that even seizure meds do not control. They are kept out of his diet. I do feel that this attack on Kraft alone is kind of off, what about all the other companies, the candy, soda, cereal, etc. It is in all of these products from fast food to boxed food to frozen, etc. Look up ingredients hiding MSG on line and you will soon learn that there are a lot of ingredients you didn't even realize had MSG in it, that in my opinion cause hyperactivity and other affects in children. These hidden ingredients are even in BABY FOOD. It is way out of control.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole idea is, "if" we can get a major corporation like Kraft to acknowledge the problem and change the harmful ingredients to something safer and healthier, other lesser corporations will follow. It is not about picking on one and not the others, it is about effectively promoting change from the top down.
DeleteIn the same sense it is also hard to avoid Soy. It causes a drop in testosterone which can lead to depression like symptoms (gasp). There are many things in the common American diet which are causing the many health problems we have.
Deletethis is why making our own baby food is the best and alot healthier...our children are worth it and when it comes to food it should come from the home and stuff we know that is natural. Ever think of all those soda's that are making us fat ??
ReplyDeleteHolly cow I have finally found a place where folks actually grow their own food and do not eat out. Get real this is a shot at a large company. If you eat out at any fast food or restaurant them you are getting GMO grains and vegetables. If you buy your food at the local grocery store their is a major possibility that it is a GMO based food. I am not one to say GMO's are good by no means but wake up folks like the title says. If you do not grow your own and raise your own then you really have no clue what went into growing or raising it. Look it up on the USDA web page and see what is allowed to be called "All Natural, or Organic" it will shock you.
ReplyDelete