Yellow 5 and yellow 6 dyes are the most egregious contents of Kraft's mac and cheese, said by some to increase hyperactivity in children. Although allowed by the FDA, yellow 5 is banned in Norway and Austria and yellow 6 banned in Norway and Finland.
Clearly, mac and cheese on its own isn't poisonous in any way, but the yellow food colorings #5 and #6 have been shown to cause hypersensitivity in children, and are therefore banned in countries including Norway, Finland, and Australia.
The whole world loves Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, however... the United States is the only country that uses a special recipe that includes yellow dye 5 and yellow dye 6 which may be dangerous to kids' health. Other countries forbid the dyes, so Kraft uses natural beta carotene and paprika to create the same color.
People in Europe do have macaroni and cheese, although it may not be as popular as it is in North America. The dish is widely available in Europe, especially in countries like the United Kingdom and France, where it has been adopted as a staple food.
One of the best foods of all is Mac and Cheese, and although considered very much an all-American (or perhaps the American) meal, macaroni cheese has its origins firmly planted in Britain.
A staple of American cuisine, the creamy combo made its way to the United States courtesy of Thomas Jefferson, who, while visiting France, became enamored of fashionable pasta dishes served there. He brought back noodle recipes and a pasta machine, since this foodstuff was unavailable in the Colonies.
Whether it's out of a box or handcrafted from scratch, it's an absolutely beloved dish. While it feels like a quintessentially American recipe, it should be no surprise that a cheesy pasta casserole's origins are in ancient Italy - and here's the history of mac and cheese!
Mac and cheese doesn't even exist in Italy. Italians would never add milk mixed with spices to pasta. The cheeses used as a pasta topping or as an ingredient are usually Parmigiano, pecorino sheep cheese or Gorgonzola. There's no cheddar in Italy.
Chef Nico Abello: “In France, we have mac and cheese, but it's not like the stuff you get in America. After you cook the pasta, you put it on a plate with some diced ham, add Gruyère cheese and a piece of butter. There's no sauce at all. It's something all the kids in France eat.
In Canadian culture
The meal is the most popular grocery item in the country, where "Kraft Dinner" has an iconic status and has become a generic trademark of sorts for macaroni and cheese. It is often simply referred to by the initials K.D.
Skittles, Pop-Tarts, Gatorade and those yummy Little Debbie's products are banned in the European Union because contain dyes like yellow 5, yellow 6 and red 40. The EU banned these artificial colors after their scientific research indicated they could be harmful to health, especially to young children.
Australian-owned Bega Cheese has acquired the former Kraft Peanut Butter factory in Victoria, adding the spread to its portfolio. Bega, famously known for cheese, will produce the original recipe Kraft...
Canadians eat a lot of mac and cheese (a lot!)
Out of the 7 million boxes sold weekly around the world, Canadians purchase 1.7 million of them.
While Gatorade is allowed in most European countries, the drink remains banned in Norway and Austria because it still contains Yellow 5 and 6.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
The Canadian and U.S. versions contain tartrazine, or yellow #5 and #6, which are banned in countries such as Norway and Austria and are being phased out in the U.K. due to concern they may be linked to hyperactivity in children.
As a result, any vendor who sells Cheetos runs the risk of being fined. But why ban Cheetos to begin with? Perhaps Chitos is putting an embargo on Cheetos as a way to keep themselves afloat. The Takeout explains that Chitos isn't exactly a mass-produced snack the way Cheetos are, limited only to Germany.
Roman party food origins
The earliest mention that we have of pasta and cheese being joined together dates back as far as 160 BCE, when Marcus Porcius Cato, ultraconservative senator of the then Roman Republic, wrote his treatise on running a vast country estate, De Agri Cultura.
You Can Now Order Macaroni and Cheese at McDonald's.
A French classic inspired by Eugenie Brazier, the mother of French cooking.
Cacio e pepe is a Roman dish, it is also the best “macaroni and cheese” that you will ever eat. This is the dish that reminds me of home, even though making comparisons to Kraft dinners is probably sacrilege.
Straciatella, or Italian egg-drop soup, is probably the most popular sick-day food in any Italian household.
I went to McDonald's on a recent trip to Italy to compare it to the US version of the chain. I weighed up things like Big Macs, fries, and chicken sandwiches to see which country did it best. Although I didn't notice that many flavor differences, the Italian meal felt lighter overall.
The English word “macaroni” comes from the Italian “maccheroni” (pronounced more or less the same way).