Kraft Mac & Cheese Moves Into Ramen, With No Artificial Dyes

The blue box is going global. Kraft Mac & Cheese is entering its first new category in two decades with Cheesy Ramen.

TLDR

• Kraft Mac & Cheese Cheesy Ramen launches in April 2027.
• Flavors are chicken, spicy and pork, at $2.99 a bowl.
• It has no artificial flavors or dyes and 9 grams of protein.
• The U.S. ramen category is worth $2.7 billion and growing 9%.

The Product

Cheesy Ramen will debut as single-serve microwavable bowls that cook in three and a half minutes. Each bowl costs $2.99. Kraft Heinz plans to add brick multipacks and convenience store cups later.

The recipe carries no artificial flavors or dyes and delivers 9 grams of protein per serving, according to Food Dive.

Why Ramen

The ramen category is worth $2.7 billion and grew 9% over the past year, driven by younger shoppers seeking global flavors. “With growing demand for cheesy ramen in the U.S., this gave us an opportunity to bring our cheese expertise to the category,” said Nicolas Henault, vice president of marketing.

The launch is part of a broader turnaround. Kraft Heinz is investing $700 million in innovation, marketing and research and development, and Kraft Mac & Cheese marketing is up 35% from a year ago.

Why It Matters

A bright orange cheese sauce with no artificial dyes, on a $2.99 bowl, shows how far clean color has come in mainstream food. When a value-priced launch leads with “no artificial dyes,” the claim has become table stakes.

Source: Food Dive. Read the report.