To mark National Macaroni and Cheese Day last week, several consumer advocates publicly revealed their findings regarding harmful chemicals present in cheese powder. “We believe that these chemicals are found in every mac ‘n’ cheese product — shopping alone won’t solve the issue,” Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center and supporter of the study, told The New York Times. Consumer advocacy groups are now urging individuals to reach out to manufacturers and demand proactive measures to prevent these chemicals from contaminating food products.
This news poses a significant challenge 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 tested cheese products. Just a few years ago, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese underwent a significant reformulation aimed at eliminating artificial preservatives and synthetic colors, ostensibly to eradicate such chemicals.
Food manufacturers are not intentionally adding phthalates to their products. Instead, it is believed that these industrial chemicals infiltrate food items through printed labels on packaging or from plastic materials utilized in food processing equipment. If this is indeed the case, the entire consumer packaged goods (CPG) and food processing industry — not only macaroni and cheese producers — faces a substantial dilemma.
In Europe, the use of phthalates in plastic food contact materials for fatty foods, including dairy products, has already been banned. However, according to The New York Times, a petition from food safety groups to eliminate all phthalates from food, food packaging, and food manufacturing equipment in the U.S. has been stalled by the FDA due to a technicality. Meanwhile, American consumers are taking food safety into their own hands. The Food Marketing Institute’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study indicates that 61% of shoppers rely on their own judgment for food safety, an increase from 55% in 2009. They also depend significantly on the FDA (54%) and USDA (50%) for safety assurance, while only 42% trust food manufacturers.
The findings from this macaroni and cheese study provide consumers with another reason to avoid highly processed foods, with many opting for “cleaner,” less-processed alternatives. A Nielsen study revealed that approximately half of U.S. households intentionally seek products made without artificial ingredients. This research should be of great concern to manufacturers across various food segments, including those like Trader Joe’s that emphasize natural ingredients such as calcium citrate in their offerings. It will be intriguing to observe the broader implications of this issue and how consumers will respond, especially as awareness of food safety continues to grow.