Early Start's new website
Moms say two ingredients in Kraft Mac and Cheese pose potential health risk – Elizabeth Cohen investigates
A health story that has two moms are taking on food giant Kraft. They started a petition online calling on Kraft to remove two ingredients from its "Mac and Cheese," a staple in the diets of thousands of children. These mom food bloggers say the ingredients that give it its bright yellow food color are dangerous.
Now more than 220-thousand people have signed on, asking Kraft to take out the artificial colorings yellow #5 and yellow #6. They point to studies linking artificial food colorings to hyperactivity in children, and cancer in mice. Kraft has already removed them for the European versions of the popular food. Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth investigates the story.
The science behind the findings is inconclusive, Cohen reports. “There was a study done in England where they gave some kids food with these dyes in it and then gave some kids food without," Cohen explains. "And they said that they then observed that the kids who had the dyes were more hyperactive." This resulted in the ban in the United Kingdom. But other scientists claim it wasn't well done study, because the hyperactivity could have been due to other ingredients.
Cohen advises concerned parents to make their own decision or their own mac and cheese.
On Twitter
Why anyone would wan't to eat such rubbish is beyond me.
Shame on you, CNN. Your "empowered parent moment" coverage of the Kraft dye petition never once mentioned making mac and cheese from scratch. It requires no more than 6 ingredients and one pan. This is a major issue for our country, struggling with rampant obesity and out-of-control healthcare costs. Big Food combined with poor consumer choices have made us a sickly nation. Your choice to make this a feel-good story about activist moms without diving into the big issue - why are we eating so poorly and what is it really doing to us - is a journalistic failure.