Two food blogging mothers from North Carolina are calling on Kraft Foods to rid their famous Mac & Cheese of potentially dangerous food dyes that are banned in European versions of the tasty kids’ meals.

Fox News is reporting on two mothers from North Carolina who are petitioning Kraft Foods to stop using yellow dye 5 and yellow dye 6 in their popular macaroni and cheese mix. Lisa Leake and Vani Hari claim the man-made food colors are made with chemicals derived from petroleum and are known to be contaminated with carcinogens. These dyes have also been associated with hyperactivity in children, allergies and migraine headaches.

Leake and Hari say Kraft does not use the dyes in the European version of the product but substitutes paprika and beta carotene to color the food instead. These much healthier substitutions are made because of higher standards regarding additives in Europe, standards they believe belong here in the States as well.In fact, use of these dyes in products marketed outside the U.S. requires a warning label and are outright banned in countries such as Norway and Austria.

The two have started a petition drive with the hopes of convincing Kraft to market a healthier product in the U.S.

“We both grew up eating this product,” Vani writes on the petition. “Lisa used to feed it to her kids, and it’s available at almost every grocery store across the country. Our kids deserve the same safer version that our friends get overseas!

“Kraft Foods is the largest food company headquartered in the United States. If Kraft changes their Macaroni and Cheese, we know this could inspire other food companies across the US to finally eliminate dangerous artificial food dyes once and for all.”

Click here to sign their petition!

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