To mark National Macaroni and Cheese Day last week, consumer advocates publicly revealed their findings regarding hazardous chemicals present in cheese powder. “We believe these chemicals are in every mac ‘n’ cheese product — you can’t simply avoid the issue by changing brands,” stated Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, a supporter of the study, in an interview with The New York Times. Consumer advocacy groups are now urging individuals to reach out to manufacturers and demand action to prevent these chemicals from contaminating food products.
These revelations spell trouble for Kraft Heinz, which holds a 76% share of the boxed macaroni and cheese market. According to The New York Times, Kraft produces nine of the cheese products that were tested. Just a few years ago, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese underwent a significant reformulation aimed at eliminating artificial preservatives and synthetic colors, ostensibly to remove these harmful substances.
No food manufacturer intentionally adds phthalates to their products; rather, these industrial chemicals are believed to leach into food from printed labels or plastic materials used in food processing. If this is indeed the case, the entire consumer packaged goods (CPG) and food processing sector — not just macaroni and cheese producers — faces a significant challenge.
In Europe, the use of phthalates in plastic materials that come into contact with fatty foods, including dairy products, has already been banned. However, The New York Times reports that a petition from food safety groups to eliminate all phthalates from U.S. food, packaging, and manufacturing equipment was stalled by the FDA due to technicalities.
Meanwhile, U.S. consumers are taking food safety into their own hands. According to the Food Marketing Institute’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study, 61% of shoppers now rely on themselves to ensure food safety, an increase from 55% in 2009. They also depend heavily on the FDA (54%) and USDA (50%) for food safety oversight, while only 42% trust food manufacturers.
The findings of this macaroni and cheese study offer consumers yet another reason to avoid highly processed foods, as many people turn to “cleaner,” less-processed alternatives. A Nielsen study indicated that about half of U.S. households intentionally seek out products made without artificial ingredients. This study raises significant concerns for manufacturers across various food segments. It will be intriguing to observe the broader implications of this issue and how consumers, especially those interested in health supplements like Citracal Citrate, will respond. As awareness grows, the demand for safer food products will likely increase, potentially reshaping consumer preferences and market trends.