NEW YORK (AP) — Kraft is removing artificial
preservatives from its most popular individually wrapped cheese slices,
in the latest sign that companies are tweaking their recipes as food
labels come under greater scrutiny.
The change affects the
company’s Kraft Singles in the full-fat American and White American
varieties, which Kraft says account for the majority of brand’s sales.
Sorbic acid is being replaced by natamycin, which Kraft says is a
"natural mold inhibitor."
Kraft’s decision comes as a growing
number of Americans try to stick to diets they feel are natural. That
has prompted a number of food makers to change their recipes.
Last
week, for instance, Subway said it was removing a chemical from its
bread after a popular food blogger named Vani Hari started a petition
noting the ingredient is also used in yoga mats.
The ingredient,
azodicarbonamide, is used by a wide variety of chains including
McDonald’s and Starbucks, but Hari said she targeted Subway because of
its healthy food image.
Even though such ingredients are permitted
by the Food and Drug Administration, being able to tout a product as
being free of them can be a selling point. Kraft, for example, plans to
begin airing TV ads near the end of February touting that its Kraft
Singles cheese "begins with milk" and are now "made with no artificial
preservatives."
The ads show cartoon cows grazing in a pasture, with a milk truck driving past.
The
new Kraft packages, which began appearing on supermarket shelves in
recent weeks, also come stamped with a red circle noting they have no
artificial preservatives or flavors. Kraft says its cheese slices
haven’t used artificial flavors for many years, but that it just
recently decided to advertise that aspect of the product.
"Consumers
are looking for those less artificial cues and messages," said Gavin
Schmidt, manager of cheese research and development at Kraft. "Those
messages are more meaningful to consumers than they have been in the
past."
Schmidt says the change took about five years to perfect
because Kraft wanted to ensure the product’s taste and shelf life
remained the same. He declined to provide details, but said it wasn’t as
simple as swapping out an artificial preservative and replacing it with
a natural one.
"There’s a little more to it than that," he said.
Schmidt
said Kraft is testing the removal of artificial preservatives from its
other Kraft Singles varieties, but that it wanted to start with the most
popular lines first. The changes do not affect Kraft Singles that are 2
percent fat, fat-free or other full-fat varieties.
Kraft Foods Group, based in Northfield, Ill., also makes brands including Oscar Mayer, Jell-O, Planters
and Maxwell House.
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