Kraft Agrees to Remove Artificial Dyes from Some Food Products

An online-petition regarding artificial dyes used in some Kraft products that drew over 348,000 signatures according to Food Safety News has helped to remove two artificially yellow food dyes from kid-friendly macaroni and cheese products that will now be replaced with paprika.

According to the company, this change will affect the company's Halloween, winter shapes and SpongeBob Squarepants varieties, but not those from the original flavor.

Vani Hari of FoodBabe.com initiated the online petition, which was posted by Change.org this past spring. The document called for the end of such artificial food dyes as Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6. Such dyes have been banned in both Norway and Austria and are currently being phased out in the United Kingdom, according to various reports.

As these dyes are made in a lab from petroleum-derived products, they require warning labels in other countries that dictate the possibility of long-term health problems associated with the compounds.

In some instances, these dyes may cause hyperactivity in children, according to various studies.

"We'll continue to make improvement where we can," Triona Schmelter, the company's vice president of marketing for meals said, via The Associated Press (AP). 

The products that will no longer contains such dyes will begin shipping in early 2014, according to the company.