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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 |
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.
Kraft reformulated its UK mac & cheese in 2018 to remove Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 after EU warning-label requirements made those dyes commercially unviable. Food bloggers Vani Hari and Lisa Leake performed a televised taste test confirming the US and UK versions taste and look essentially the same without the synthetic dyes. Kraft confirmed the reformulation was driven by EU compliance, not by any safety finding — meaning US consumers are eating dyes their UK counterparts aren't, purely due to a regulatory gap.
Find clean brands without these ingredients — organized by category.