Dive Brief:
- Kraft Foods Group will remove artificial colors and preservatives from its flagship macaroni and cheese product beginning in early 2016.
- The changes includes replacing Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 dyes with seasonings like paprika, annatto, and turmeric, which themselves have health benefits.
- Kraft's announcement comes after three years of research, tweaking, and consumer tests, which showed that consumers are looking for simpler foods with fewer chemicals that they can feel good about serving to their families and eating themselves — as long as Kraft can maintain the product's original flavor.
Dive Insight:
Just after the Kraft-Heinz merger announcement, we asked why Warren Buffett and 3G seemed to be focused on "junk food" acquisitions. But could the companies be in for a healthier turn?
Heinz had already started making organic ketchup, and Kraft had removed artificial preservatives from some Kraft Singles and announced a recipe tweak to Capri Sun. How far will Kraft and Heinz take these overhauls to meet the demands of consumers looking for healthier, simpler prepackaged, and processed foods? Or will the combined company, once it merges, stick to what it arguably knows best and give some consumers what they really crave?