In America's food wars, nothing is safe anymore, not even the venerable Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, the stovetop staple of children, college students and single men around the world.
Two North Carolina food bloggers have launched a petition to demand that Kraft Foods remove two artificial dyes, Yellow #5 and Yellow #6, which they claim can cause hyperactivity, migraines and asthma.
Their solution: Kraft should sell the Mac & Cheese version sold in England, which doesn't include the dyes.
Vani Hari and Lisa Leake, the bloggers who both have consumed the U.S. version, launched their petition on Change.org and collected 50,000 signatures in under 48 hours.
"If an American company can take the time and expense to reformulate a safer food product for countries overseas, then I believe Americans deserve the same treatment," said Leake, creator of the "100 Days of Real Food" website.
She said that in Europe, foods that contain Yellow #5 are required to carry a warning label.
Change.org issued a release quoting Kraft's response. "We know some people prefer foods without certain ingredients," said Lynne Galia, associate director with Kraft Corporate Affairs, in a statement. "We now offer a multitude of products without added colors, as well as products with natural food colors."
Hari and Leake, however, are sticking to their demand that the dyes disappear.
