10 things you didn't know about Kraft boxed macaroni and cheese

Updated

2021-06-04T15:16:51Z

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Boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese at Kraft Heinz's Washington DC pop-up.
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  • In honor of National Cheese Day on June 4, here are fascinating facts about Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
  • It was the first pasta product to come with processed, powdered cheese.
  • In 1937 alone, 9 million boxes were sold — the number would multiply five times during World War II.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese has been around since 1937, though similar recipes date back as far as the 1700s.

Mac and cheese.
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The brand was the first to market boxed macaroni and cheese. However, according to Smithsonian Magazine, the first-known recipe for mac and cheese was written down in 1769.

Kraft's creation was an instant smash hit.

Kraft Mac & Cheese box.
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In 1937 alone, 9 million boxes were sold.

Roughly a million boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese are sold every day.

Boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
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Besides the iconic elbow noodle shape, the brand's top-selling noodle at one point was the SpongeBob SquarePants variety.

During the pandemic, sales soared, and there was an increased interest in eating the mac and cheese for breakfast, according to the company.

A production facility in Champaign, Illinois, in March 2020.
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With more people eating at home and looking for shelf-stable options, Heinz-Kraft reported increases in sales throughout 2020.

The company even added "breakfast" to Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner packaging.

 "56% of parents have served their kids Mac & Cheese for breakfast more often during Covid-19 related state lockdowns than previous months," the company said in a press release in August 2020.

There are four flavors of Kraft Mac & Cheese on the market.

Kraft's mac and cheese.
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These include Kraft's original recipe, also referred to as "The Cheesiest," Thick n' Creamy, three cheese, and white cheddar. There are also gluten-free, whole grain, and white bean pasta options.

In 2015, Kraft announced it would remove artificial yellow dye from its boxed dinner.

Kraft Mac & Cheese ingredients in 2015.
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While the distinct yellow color of Kraft Mac & Cheese is undeniably nostalgic, many criticized the company's use of artificial dyes.

One such critic was mom and food blogger, Vani Hari, who runs the site Food Babe. After starting a petition in 2013 to get Kraft to remove the dyes from its food, Hari's Change.org page received more than 348,000 signatures.

In 2015, Kraft removed all artificial flavors, preservatives, and synthetic colors from its boxed mac and cheese, using paprika, annatto, and turmeric instead.

Kraft Mac & Cheese is called different things around the world.

KD boxes.
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The product is known as Kraft Dinner, or KD, in Canada. In the United States and Australia, it's called Kraft Macaroni & Cheese or Kraft Mac & Cheese. Brits, on the other hand, call the boxed macaroni and cheese "macaroni cheese" or "cheesy pasta."

In fact, it's one of the most beloved foods in Canada.

Kraft Mac & Cheese.
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According to Global News, Canadians buy 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes, or around 24%, of Kraft Dinner that is sold every week around the world. The country's annual consumption of the pasta dish is also 55% higher than that of Americans.

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