The Observer will host Lisa Leake of the website 100daysofrealfood.com and Vani Hari of foodbabe.com for a live chat from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday at www.charlotteobserver.com/chat.
The two women have gotten more than 272,000 supporters on a petition asking Kraft Foods to remove artificial colors from its baseline, original flavor of Macaroni & Cheese Dinner. The petition is still active at www.change.org/kraftyellow.
Kraft's response has been that it has some products, such as the organic, without food colors and that it's only using ingredients that the FDA has approved. The company also has posted a letter to consumers stating that its customers prefer the American version to stay the way it is. (It's difficult to find on the Kraft Foods site since it's under "corporate," so you might need to use that link to find it.)
In Britain, products containing the dyes have to carry a warning label, so Kraft has formulated a version that is colored with beta carotene and paprika rather than yellow dyes No. 5 and 6. Here's my story on the issue earlier this week.
I can tell from the comments on my story that there is a lot of interest on both sides of the topic. If you want to join in the chat and post questions, go to www.charlotteobserver.com at noon Thursday. Social media editor Jennifer Rothacker will be the moderator.
There is also a very long list of additives that are used in England and banned in other countries.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that if these women don't want Yellow 5 or any other additive in their food, don't buy it.
It really is that simple.
These women have way too much time on their hands. Perhaps if they had real jobs, they could afford to go out and buy the more expensive organic mac and cheese that has no dyes and let the public buy what they want.
ReplyDelete