Kraft Foods Group Inc., of Northfield, Ill., announced it is removing an artificial ingredient from one of its cheese products, Kraft Singles slices.
The decision comes two years after Kraft began advertising that Kraft Singles have “no artificial flavors,” the Chicago Tribune noted, and after mounting consumer demand for clean labeling.
The company debuted its new cheese products with no artificial preservatives that replaces sorbic acid with the natural preservative, natamycin, in its Kraft Singles full-fat American and white American varieties of individually wrapped cheese slices.
In October 2013, Kraft had announced plans to remove artificial yellow dyes from at least three of its kid-friendly Macaroni & Cheese products in the United States and Canada.
Sorbic acid, according to the National Institute of Health, has been one of the leading preservatives in the food sector throughout the world over the past 30 years. The chemical is also found in many cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. In large amounts, it may cause damage to the tissues of the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, but low-level amounts have reportedly caused intestinal discomfort and headaches. The Food and Drug Administration does regulate the use of the chemical and it is currently approved for companies to use.
“We know families today want convenient foods that have no artificial preservatives and a simpler, more recognizable ingredient list, and Kraft is working to deliver more of these options for some of our most beloved brands,” Brian Gelb, senior associate brand manager, Kraft Foods, said in the news release. “Kraft is excited to deliver the same great tasting American cheese it always has with Kraft Singles – always made with real cheese, milk and no artificial flavors – and now with no artificial preservatives. It’s just simpler this way, and it’s the way cheese fans want it.”
S.C. Rhyne is a blogger and novelist in New York City. Follow the author on twitter @ReporterandGirl or on Facebook.com/TheReporterandTheGirl and visit her website at www.SCRhyne.com
