Kraft

Product brand

American packaged-food brand associated with processed cheese, macaroni and cheese, mayonnaise, dressings and other everyday grocery products.

Last updated October 28, 2026

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Overview

Kraft is a long-established American packaged-food brand whose name is strongly associated with convenient family meals and refrigerated or shelf-stable grocery staples. Its best-known products include Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kraft Singles processed cheese slices, Kraft Natural Cheese, mayonnaise, salad dressings and barbecue sauce. The brand’s strongest consumer recognition comes from the blue-box macaroni-and-cheese product and from cheese products that have been marketed as practical ingredients for sandwiches, pasta, casseroles and snacks. The brand’s history is linked to the much larger Kraft corporate food business, but the corporate entity and the consumer brand are not the same thing. Kraft’s corporate lineage expanded through major combinations involving General Foods, Nabisco and later Cadbury. Kraft Foods Inc. was separated from Philip Morris in a large 2001 public offering, became a major global food company, and was subsequently divided in 2012 into a North American grocery company and an international snacks company. The North American grocery business, Kraft Foods Group, merged with H.J. Heinz Company in 2015 to create The Kraft Heinz Company. Consequently, Kraft-branded products are now marketed within a portfolio rather than by the former standalone Kraft Foods corporation. Ownership is also product-specific. In 2021, Lactalis Heritage Dairy acquired Kraft’s natural, grated, shredded and chunk cheese business in the United States from Kraft Heinz. This means that the Kraft name can appear on products managed by different corporate owners depending on category and market. Kraft Heinz continues to use the brand for products such as macaroni and cheese, Kraft Singles, mayonnaise, dressings and barbecue sauce, while Lactalis operates certain U.S. cheese lines under licensing and acquisition arrangements. Kraft’s positioning has generally emphasized familiarity, convenience, affordability and the emotional role of food in family life. Its marketing has moved from mass television and print advertising toward recipe platforms, mobile advertising, social media, digital out-of-home placements and commerce-linked media. Campaigns such as “Make Something Amazing,” “Family Greatly,” “Let’s Get Zesty” and “Send Noods” used different versions of the same broad promise: Kraft products help consumers prepare recognizable food with limited time, skill or planning. More recent marketing has sought to make Kraft Mac & Cheese culturally relevant while defending its value and dependable taste against private-label alternatives and premium competitors. The brand remains active, particularly in North America, but its exact corporate scope requires care. “Kraft” may refer to a consumer brand, a former public company, or part of the Kraft Heinz corporate name. This dossier therefore treats the subject primarily as the consumer brand and flags the identity for review because no single reliable Wikipedia path was supplied and the reference material spans both brand and corporate histories.

History

Kraft’s consumer-brand history is inseparable from the development of the large Kraft food business. Over time, the Kraft name became identified with packaged grocery products designed for broad household use, especially processed cheese and convenient meal components. Cheese, macaroni and cheese, mayonnaise, dressings and sauces gave the brand a presence across refrigerated, shelf-stable and condiment categories. The corporate business expanded substantially through acquisitions and combinations. At the end of the 1980s, Philip Morris acquired Kraft and combined it with General Foods, creating Kraft General Foods. The enlarged business brought together Kraft products with brands such as Oscar Mayer, Maxwell House, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Post and other packaged-food lines. In 2000, Philip Morris acquired Nabisco Holdings and combined that business with Kraft. The transaction added major snack and grocery assets and made Kraft one of the largest food companies in the United States. Kraft Foods Inc. was separated from Philip Morris through a 2001 public offering. The offering raised approximately $8.68 billion through the sale of 280 million shares at $31 per share, while Philip Morris retained majority ownership and voting control at the time. The public company operated a broad portfolio that extended well beyond the Kraft name, including cookies, crackers, beverages, dairy products, meals and desserts. In 2009 and 2010, Kraft pursued and completed the acquisition of Cadbury, a major British confectionery company. The deal increased Kraft’s international confectionery presence but also contributed to later portfolio restructuring. In 2012, Kraft Foods Inc. split into two publicly traded companies: Mondelez International, focused primarily on global snacks, and Kraft Foods Group, focused on North American grocery products. The Kraft brand remained with the North American grocery business. Kraft Foods Group later entered into a definitive merger agreement with H.J. Heinz Company in 2015. The transaction, valued at approximately $60 billion, closed on July 2, 2015 and created The Kraft Heinz Company. Kraft therefore ceased to exist as an independent operating public company, while its consumer brands continued inside the new enterprise. Following the merger, Kraft Heinz managed Kraft-branded products across several categories, including Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kraft Singles, condiments and dressings. In 2021, Lactalis Heritage Dairy acquired selected U.S. natural, grated, shredded and chunk cheese operations from Kraft Heinz. This created a split in practical brand stewardship: some products carrying the Kraft name remained within Kraft Heinz, while certain cheese products moved to Lactalis. Marketing has been a major part of Kraft’s continuing identity. The brand has used recipe-led advertising, mobile applications, QR codes, social media, digital video and digital out-of-home media to connect products with meal occasions. Its communications have frequently focused on cooking at home, family relationships, nostalgia and ease. “Family Greatly” presented family life as loving rather than perfect; “Let’s Get Zesty” used playful digital engagement to promote salad dressings; and “Send Noods” attempted a provocative mac-and-cheese promotion during the pandemic before being withdrawn after backlash. More recent activity has emphasized Kraft Mac & Cheese as a familiar, affordable and culturally relevant comfort food. The brand remains active, but its ownership and product portfolio must be assessed by product and geography rather than assumed to belong to a single standalone Kraft corporation.

2021
Selected U.S. cheese business moves to Lactalis
[4]Kraft cheese marketing and Lactalis ownershipdigiday.com
Lactalis Heritage Dairy acquired selected Kraft cheese operations from Kraft Heinz.
2015
Kraft Foods Group merges with Heinz
[3]Kraft and Heinz mergercravath.com
Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Company completed their merger, creating The Kraft Heinz Company.
2012
Kraft Foods splits into two companies
[1]Kraft Foods Inc. historyen.wikipedia.org
The former Kraft Foods business was divided into Mondelez International and Kraft Foods Group.
2009
Kraft launches bid for Cadbury
[1]Kraft Foods Inc. historyen.wikipedia.org
Kraft made a takeover offer for British confectionery group Cadbury, beginning a contested acquisition process.
2001
Kraft Foods completes public offering
[2]Kraft IPO coveragemoney.cnn.com
Kraft Foods raised approximately $8.68 billion in a major New York Stock Exchange initial public offering.
2000
Nabisco is combined with Kraft
[1]Kraft Foods Inc. historyen.wikipedia.org
Philip Morris acquired Nabisco Holdings and merged the business into Kraft’s corporate structure.
1989
Kraft General Foods is formed
[1]Kraft Foods Inc. historyen.wikipedia.org
Kraft was merged with Philip Morris’s General Foods unit, bringing numerous packaged-food brands into one business.
1988
Philip Morris acquires Kraft
[1]Kraft Foods Inc. historyen.wikipedia.org
Philip Morris acquired Kraft and subsequently combined it with General Foods.

Products and positioning

Accessible, familiar and convenient food for everyday cooking and family occasions.

Prepared meals and dry grocery
Kraft Mac & Cheese
A boxed macaroni product sold with a cheese sauce mix or cheese powder. It is Kraft’s most recognizable consumer offering and is positioned around convenience, familiarity, value and comfort. Marketing has treated the product as both a quick household meal and a cultural icon, using nostalgia and humor to maintain relevance among families and younger consumers.
Processed cheese
Kraft Singles
Individually wrapped processed cheese slices commonly used in sandwiches, burgers and grilled cheese. The line is associated with consistent melting performance, portion convenience and broad household availability. It has been promoted alongside other Kraft cheese products in recipe-focused campaigns.
Natural cheese
Kraft Natural Cheese
A family of natural cheese products sold in formats such as slices, shreds, chunks and grated cheese. Ownership of selected U.S. Kraft natural-cheese operations moved to Lactalis Heritage Dairy in 2021, so product stewardship may differ from other Kraft-branded lines.
Condiments
Kraft Mayonnaise
A mayonnaise line used as a spread, dressing ingredient and base for salads and sauces. It has been marketed as part of broader seasonal cooking programs that combine mayonnaise with Kraft salad dressings and barbecue sauce.
Condiments
Kraft Salad Dressing
A range of bottled salad dressings, including the Zesty Italian variety referenced in digital and mobile campaigns. The products are positioned for salads, marinades and creative home cooking, with marketing that emphasizes recipes and playful social participation.

Controversies

2020
Withdrawal of “Send Noods” campaign
Kraft Mac & Cheese removed a provocative promotional campaign after online criticism focused on its sexual innuendo and the possibility that the creative could reach children.
Source
2020
OCA sues Kraft Heinz over natural cheese marketing claims
The Organic Consumers Association filed suit against The Kraft Heinz Company in D.C. Superior Court. The complaint alleged that the company marketed some cheese products made with milk from cows administered rbST/rbGH as "natural." The action concerned the labeling and promotion of those products as natural despite the use of milk from cows given the growth hormone. The case was brought in the District of Columbia court, with the Organic Consumers Association as plaintiff and The Kraft Heinz Company as defendant.
Source

2023Nostalgia and Millennial Parents
United States
Kraft expanded digital media, digital out-of-home, social placements and commerce-aware activity to reach millennial parents, using family cooking memories and 1990s nostalgia.
Outcome. The effort was described as the brand’s first multimillion-dollar campaign after selected cheese operations moved from Kraft Heinz to Lactalis Heritage Dairy.
Source
2020Send Noods
United States
Kraft Mac & Cheese invited people to send boxes or coupons to friends and family using a deliberately suggestive phrase tied to online ordering and pandemic-era comfort.
Outcome. Kraft removed the advertising after social-media backlash concerning its sexualized tone and potential exposure near children.
Source
2017Family Greatly
United States
A multibrand campaign used real parents and children to challenge the pressure to be a perfect parent and present Kraft products as part of authentic family life.
Outcome. The campaign broadened Kraft’s emotional positioning across macaroni and cheese, cheese, mayonnaise, dressing and barbecue-sauce products.
Source
2012Make Something Amazing
United States · Canada
A large cheese-focused campaign promoted five Kraft products through television, print, online media and recipe content, encouraging consumers to create simple meals and snacks.
Outcome. The campaign represented a significant increase in cheese and dairy marketing investment and extended the brand into recipe-led digital engagement.
Source
2012Let's Get Zesty
United States
A playful digital campaign for Kraft Zesty Italian dressing used mobile video, a microsite and personalized social messages called Zestygrams.
Outcome. The campaign sought to increase social sharing and associate the dressing with creative home cooking.
Source

Brand decisions

2021
Divest selected U.S. cheese operationsM&A
Background
Kraft Heinz reorganized parts of its cheese portfolio after the formation of the Kraft Heinz group.
Action taken
Lactalis Heritage Dairy acquired selected Kraft natural, grated, shredded and chunk cheese operations in the United States.
Aftermath
Different Kraft-branded product families came under different corporate stewardship, making category and market distinctions important.
Source
2015
Merge Kraft Foods Group with H.J. HeinzM&A
Background
Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz pursued a combination intended to create a large, cost-focused packaged-food company.
Action taken
The companies completed their merger on July 2, 2015, forming The Kraft Heinz Company.
Aftermath
Kraft became a major brand within Kraft Heinz rather than an independent public food company.
Transaction value. approximately $60 billion (announced March 25, 2015)
Source
2012
Increase investment in cheese marketingStrategy
Background
Kraft Foods sought to strengthen packaged-food demand by presenting cheese products as useful ingredients for everyday meals rather than only as standalone products.
Action taken
The company launched a broad “Make Something Amazing” campaign supported by television, print, digital content and recipes.
Aftermath
The campaign expanded Kraft’s recipe-centered marketing and incorporated mobile and QR-code interactions.
Source

Recent events

2021-07-27
Kraft discontinues fat-free mayonnaise[10]Kraft停产无脂蛋黄酱today.com
Reported: 2021-07-27
Kraft announced that it would no longer sell its fat-free mayonnaise, saying the variety did not meet its standards. The company said it would continue selling several reduced-fat mayonnaise varieties.
2021-07-13
Kraft and Van Leeuwen announce limited-edition macaroni and cheese ice cream[11]Kraft与Van Leeuwen宣布推出限量版通心粉奶酪冰淇淋abcnews.com
Reported: 2021-07-13
Kraft and Van Leeuwen announced a limited-edition macaroni and cheese-flavored ice cream. The flavor was scheduled to go on sale July 14 at Van Leeuwen scoop shops in New York City, Los Angeles and Houston, and online, while supplies last.
Unconfirmed
Kraft and Van Leeuwen collaborate on mac and cheese-flavored ice cream[12]Kraft与Van Leeuwen合作推出通心粉芝士风味冰淇淋star1029.iheart.com
Kraft and ice cream brand Van Leeuwen teamed up to create a limited-edition mac and cheese-flavored ice cream.
2020-12-17
OCA sues Kraft Heinz over natural cheese marketing claims[9]OCA sues Kraft Heinz over natural cheese marketing claimsprnewswire.com
Reported: 2020-12-17
The Organic Consumers Association sued The Kraft Heinz Company in D.C. Superior Court, alleging that the company marketed some cheese products made with milk from cows administered rbST/rbGH as “natural.”
2020-10-14
Kraft pulls Send Noods campaign after backlash[13]Kraft在遭遇舆论反弹后撤下Send Noods活动92moose.fm
Reported: 2020-10-14
Kraft pulled its #SendNoods campaign after social media backlash, with some people claiming that the campaign sexualized macaroni and cheese.
Unconfirmed
Kraft pumpkin spice macaroni and cheese[14]Kraft 南瓜香料通心粉奶酪thekat.iheart.com
Kraft Heinz is selling a limited-edition pumpkin spice macaroni and cheese product in Canada, limited to 1,000 people.
2020-08-04
Kraft launches Breakfast Box giveaway[15]Kraft推出早餐盒赠品活动foxbusiness.com
Reported: 2020-08-04
Kraft launched a social media contest offering Twitter users who use the specified hashtags a chance to win a limited-edition Kraft Mac & Cheese “Breakfast Box.”

Sources18 sources

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