This food memorabilia collector found that Kraft Mac & Cheese has changed significantly over the years. And it may not be for the better.
Kraft Mac & Cheese is an American food staple. It was once lauded as a go-to meal for parents who needed to put a quick, kid-friendly meal on the table. Or for college students on a tight budget and with limited kitchen supplies.
The meal is instantly recognizable, from the blue box to the bright orange cheese powder that so many grew up with.
But this foodie says the brand has changed its recipe over the years.
Kraft Mac & Cheese recipe changes
Kraft Mac & Cheese was introduced in 1937. It gained popularity during times of struggle, including the Great Depression and World War II. At the time, money was tight. And women spent less time in the home. Many women entered the workforce, according to the Chicago History Museum.
While people now tend to lean away from highly processed foods, like boxed mac and cheese, Kraft still has a strong hold. It sells about 7 million boxes a week globally, Mashed reported.
But in a trending video with more than 138,000 views, food influencer Lee (@o_g_deez) notes that the boxed meal has changed significantly.
“What has happened to Kraft Macaroni & Cheese?” Lee asks.
Lee notes that in the 1950s, the box only had six ingredients, with sharp cheddar and skim milk being the most predominant.
“The one thing that’s always maintained its consistency is the direction. You’re gonna add your own milk and your own butter or margarine,” Lee says, though in the ’50s it stated bacon drippings were preferable.
In the ’80s, cheese was still a predominant but a lesser ingredient, she notes. She adds that buttermilk powder was added likely “to compensate for the lesser amount of cheese.”
In the mid-’90s, she finds out there was more cheese. And it still had the buttermilk powder, so the recipe was “epic,” Lee says.
In the 2000s, the buttermilk was removed, and by 2010 to the present day, there is “hardly any cheese.”
Is the recipe the same everywhere?
As it turns out, Canadians love boxed mac and cheese. They consume 55% more Kraft Mac & Cheese than their American counterparts. This makes Canada the biggest consumer of the boxed cheesy pasta, Business Insider reported.
This might have to do with the fact that the ingredient list is different, with half the ingredients as the American version.
Kraft removes artificial preservatives, flavors, and dyes
In 2015, Kraft removed artificial preservatives, flavors, and dyes from the mac and cheese recipe. The move was likely in an effort to appeal to shifting attitudes around highly processed foods.
They swapped the artificial food coloring for a mixture of paprika, annatto, and turmeric.
“That doesn’t make them healthier — the only difference between artificial and natural flavors is that natural flavors are derived from a certain list of plants and proteins. Both are heavily processed, constructed in laboratories and in no way resemble any naturally occurring food,” wrote David Goldman for CNN.
Kraft’s other cheesy controversy
In 2002, the Food and Drug Administration sent the president of Kraft (which owns Velveeta) a letter warning the company that the Kraft Singles cheese slices and Velveeta cheese spread did not meet the definition of “food” or cheese, Farm and Dairy reported.
Both were eventually renamed as “cheese products.”
To be considered a cheese, it must contain certain ingredients and fall within a specific moisture content range, Foodie stated.
“While there are elements of real cheese in Velveeta – like, you know, milk – to call it actual cheese is a bit of a stretch,” Anna Brones wrote for Organic Authority.
Commenters react
“Been saying this for years. nothing tastes good anymore,” a top comment read.
“Velveeta Mac and cheese is awful now too!” a person said.
“The macaroni is impossible to cook correctly now. It’s always mushy and gummy no matter how long I boil it. That’s happened in the last year,” another noted.
“OH MY GOD – so our childhood Mac n cheese in the 90s literally WAS more delicious!!” a commenter wrote.
@o_g_deez Replying to @Nothanks2283 Canadians consume 55% more Kraft than Americans. Watch til the end to find out why. #foodie #foodtok #fypシ #foodtiktok #mac #macscaraface #cheese #pasta #millennial #millennialsoftiktok ♬ original sound – The Food Hacker
The Daily Dot reached out to Lee for comment via Instagram direct message and to Kraft via email.
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