Kraft Dinner as Canadian Cuisine: Commodity Chains and Social Impact

This essay examines whether Kraft Dinner is emblematic of Canadian cuisine, highlighting its commodity chain, marketing strategies, and social impact. Introduced in 1937 by James Lewis Kraft, the product combines nonperishable macaroni noodles with processed cheese powder. The essay discusses how the timing of its launch during World War II and the subsequent rationing of dairy products contributed to its success. Known as K.D. in Canada, the product has become a de facto national dish, with Canadians purchasing a significant portion of global sales. The essay also explores the convenience factor that has made Kraft Dinner a staple, while also acknowledging the differing associations it holds for food-secure and food-insecure Canadians. Ultimately, the essay concludes that while Kraft Dinner is undergoing changes in consumer perception, it remains an emblematic part of Canadian cuisine.

Running head: FOOD
Food
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

1FOOD
The food product known as Kraft Dinner in Canada is a nonperishable, packaged dry
macaroni and cheese product. The produced first came into the market in the year 1937 and is
known for the innovation brought about in making the product. The present paper evaluates
whether Kraft Dinner is emblematic of Canadian cuisine. It highlights the global and Canadian
commodity chain that brings this product in an economical and easy to prepare fashion. The
paper further highlights the industry, technologies and marketing strategies that enable this
product to be constructed as a convenience food. Lastly, the social relations that the product
enables or disables is brought into focus.
Kraft Dinner was first introduced by James Lewis Kraft under the same name in both US
and Canada while it has now developed into different other formulations. The product had the
original idea of combining the nonperishable dried macaroni noodles with a processed cheese
powder for so that he dish could be made by preparing the pasta and adding the milk, butter and
cheese powder. The product is a major brand of Kraft and Heinz merger after Kraft Foods Group
Inc. merged with the H.J. Heinz Company. Kraft Foods Group Inc. has its core business in
cheese, dairy, beverage and convenience food sector. The timing of the launch of the product had
significance in relation to the World War II as rationing of dairy products and enhanced
dependence on meatless products created a captive market for Kraft Dinner (Chapman 2012).
Kraft Dinner is designated as K.D. in Canada and has a different name in other markets.
Thus, the Canadian advertising and marketing platform is a made-in-Canada initiative. Kraft
Dinner has been known to be the de facto national dish of Canada. Records indicate that
Canadians are responsible for buying almost 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes of the product
sold each week on a global scale. The meal has been denoted to be the most popular grocery item
in Canada where it is an iconic status, becoming a generic trademark for cheese and macaroni.

2FOOD
The product was marketed at the initial stage with the slogan "a meal for four in nine minutes for
an everyday price of 19 cents.” The product is promoted strongly towards children and teenagers
on television. Kraft has advertising programs that intend to make the food product tempting to
newly arrived immigrant groups in Canada.
Newman (2017: 32-33) pointed out that Canada is a large wheat producer, with high
production of wheat used for the various food products developed through innovation. Further,
the country has a significant dairy sector contributing to the large production of milk and cheese
in the country. Canadians have a love for their local food and embrace the culture brought about
through food. Kraft Dinner has taken this opportunity to explore the scope of creating a large
market for food products made chiefly from these two ingredients.
The modern food industry focuses on the common mantle of humble servings that make
life convenient for the individuals, irrespective of whether he is an aristocrat or a common
person. The food industry’s main focus for its products is a convenience, better explained as “We
do it all for you.” Reflecting on this idea, it can be stated that the success of Kraft Dinner lies in
the fact that it has been profoundly viewed as a convenience food that targets a large section of
the population. Cheese plays a large dietary role in the lives of Canadians, and when it comes in
a form that is easily available and digestible, it builds an intense and intimate relationship with
the citizens, like Kraft Dinner. Canadians are divided into two categories; food secure Canadians
and food insecure Canadians. While the former might associate Kraft Dinner with comfort, the
latter might associate the same with discomfort. These differences arise from the fact that Kraft
Dinner consumption by food secure Canadians is voluntary (Belasco 2008: 60).

3FOOD
Most people in Canada are referring to considering changes in how they are loyal towards
a certain food product and focusing on bringing alterations in them. The change is more than
cosmetic as it signals challenge that old food product companies might grapple with their best
products in the coming years (Penfold 2008: 62). This key insight might hold implications for
Kraft Dinner as well since the company’s research indicates that its relevance among younger
citizens might plummet. For a brand that is mostly dependent on the affection of its consumers, it
might lead to decrease in the sales over the years.
In conclusion, Kraft Dinner can be stated as emblematic of Canadian cuisine. The
product is undergoing a transformation in the manner in which it makes an impact on the lives of
its consumers. Ignorance among a section of the population might be accountable for a dominant
response towards the product in future.

4FOOD
References
Belasco, Warren. 2008. “Convenience: the global food chain.” Pp. 55-78 in Food: the key
concepts. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Chapman, Sasha. 2012. “Manufacturing Taste” The Walrus. Retrieved February 14, 2018
(https://thewalrus.ca/manufacturing-taste/)
Newman, Lenore. 2017. “The language of cuisine”. Pp. 20-35 in Speaking in cod tongues: a
Canadian culinary journey. Regina SK: University of Regina Press.
Penfold, Steven. 2002. “Eddie Shack was no Tim Horton.” Pp. 48-66 in The Donut: A Canadian
history.