Ingredients in packaged food have come under greater scrutiny in recent years. People are increasingly trying to eat foods they feel are better for them, and big food makers are adjusting their offerings to keep pace.
In the meantime, smaller players such as Annie’s Homegrown Inc., which makes a variety of macaroni and cheese, are getting more shelf space at the supermarket.
Earlier this year, PepsiCo also said it would remove a controversial ingredient from its Gatorade sports drink because of customer complaints. The move came after a petition by a Mississippi teenager on Change.org, although PepsiCo said the petition wasn’t what prompted its decision.
Triona Schmelter, Kraft’s vice president of marketing for meals, said the company was looking to improve the nutritional profiles of the three macaroni and cheese varieties more broadly. The new recipes will also add whole grains and reduce the amount of sodium and saturated fat, she said.
She declined to specify whether Kraft would eventually make similar changes to its many other macaroni and cheese varieties. But she noted the company already offers some macaroni and cheese options that only use natural colors, such as several of its “Homestyle” varieties.
“We’ll continue to make improvement where we can,” Schmelter said, noting that the company tries to cater to evolving customer preferences.
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131031/BIZ/310310093#ixzz2jJTxt9lK