Kraft Foods has announced that it will be taking an artificial ingredient out of some of the brand's Kraft Singles cheese slices.
Sorbic acid, which is generally recognized as safe by the FDA, will no longer be added to the Kraft Singles American and White American varieties to keep the products fresh. "It is adding a mold inhibitor, natamycin, and a proprietary, unnamed ingredient for food safety," reports the Chicago Tribune. Unlike sorbic acid, natamycin is considered to be a natural preserving agent and mold inhibitor.
Read more about artificial ingredients
“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, a senior associate brand manager for Kraft Foods, said in a statement.
Kraft Singles have been promoted as having no artificial flavors for the last two years. And the news makes Kraft the latest of the Big Food brands to remove controversial ingredients from its offerings. Just recently Subway announced it was removing azodiacarbonamide from its bread products. It's a chemical commonly used in making shoe soles and yoga mats.
Read more about Subway's announcement
Kraft also recently announced that it would be taking some artificial colors out of its popular Macaroni and Cheese products. The brand sells the product in Europe without artificial colors because of restrictions on their use over concerns that artificial colors lead to behavioral issues in children. But the brand is also facing a potential lawsuit over its Crystal Light drink line and claims that the products are natural when they contain artificial ingredients.
Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger
Image: Bonnie Kirkpatrick
