Under Scrutiny: Kraft Makes Singles "All Natural"

Kraft is in the process of replacing the preservatives in its individually wrapped cheeses, Kraft Singles, following a recent trend inspired by leery consumers pushing for healthy products.

The new All Natural Singles, which are appearing in stores now, are made with only natural ingredients and preservatives, according to the household-name cheese company. The Singles' original preservative, sorbic acid, is being replaced with natamycin, a "natural mold inhibitor" to allow longer refrigerated storage of the cheeses.

Interestingly, sorbic acid is a natural organic compound originally found in unripe rowan berries, and is commonly found in a great deal of products that risk molding. These days, the compound is produced in a lab rather than isolated from berries, but it still rapidly degrades over time, allowing it to be considered environmentally friendly.

What makes natamycin different from sorbic acid is the fact that it isn't only natural, but naturally occurring and is not created with chemistry. Instead, the antifungal is produced by bacterium commonly found in healthy soil.

So why the switch? According to Kraft press releases, this swap is part of a Kraft initiative five years in the making to make every process of the cheese production completely "natural" -- no chemistry required.

It is also very timely. Consumers seem to have become increasingly leery of the safety of big name brands, and pressure has been put on these brands to put consumer health first.

For instance, Subway just recently removed azodicarbonamide, an flour-strengthening chemical that is also commonly found in yoga mats, from their bread after an online petition called for the removal. This chemical was FDA approved, and is commonly used in many other U.S. sold breads, but once exposed Subway chose to bend to the demands of their customer base, lest they lose them entirely. Other big name companies, like CVS, have launched campaigns to prove to an increasingly scrutinous public that they are on their side.