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The US and international formulas are not the same— here's exactly what changed and why.
Kraft Heinz USA
| Ingredient | 🇺🇸 US Version | 🌍 International | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Dye 5 | ✅ Not present | ✅ Not present | Banned Overseas |
| Yellow Dye 6 | ✅ Not present | ✅ Not present | Banned Overseas |
| Bht | ✅ Not present | ✅ Not present | Banned Overseas |
The same company makes both versions — but they use different formulas depending on where the product is sold. In the EU, UK, and Canada, regulations require either banning certain additives outright or mandating warning labels (e.g., "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" for certain synthetic dyes).
Rather than print warning labels, most manufacturers reformulate the product for international markets — using natural colorants like paprika extract, beetroot concentrate, or spirulina instead of petroleum-derived synthetic dyes.
The US FDA has a different standard: it deems additives "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) based on older safety data, while EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) applies stricter precautionary principles and requires manufacturers to prove safety rather than assume it.
This entry covers the UK-market reformulation specifically: in 2018 Kraft Heinz reformulated its UK mac & cheese, removing Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 from the cheese powder and replacing them with paprika extract and annatto. This was done to avoid the EU mandatory warning label — 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.' The identical product for the US market was not reformulated, meaning millions of American families, particularly children, continue to consume dyes their UK counterparts have not seen in years.
Find clean brands without these ingredients — organized by category.