To honor National Macaroni and Cheese Day last week, several consumer advocates revealed alarming findings regarding hazardous chemicals present in cheese powder. “We believe that these chemicals are present in every mac ‘n’ cheese product — you can’t simply avoid the issue by changing your shopping habits,” stated Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, who supported the study, in an interview with The New York Times. Consumer advocacy organizations are now encouraging individuals to reach out to manufacturers and demand that measures be implemented to prevent these chemicals from contaminating food products.
This news poses significant challenges for Kraft Heinz, which dominates the boxed macaroni and cheese market with a 76% share. 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 such harmful chemicals.
No food manufacturer intentionally incorporates phthalates into their products. Instead, it is believed that this industrial chemical is leaching into food items from printed labels on packaging or from plastic materials used in food processing equipment. If this is indeed the case, the entire consumer packaged goods (CPG) and food processing industry — not just mac and cheese producers — may face a serious dilemma.
In Europe, the use of phthalates has already been banned from plastic materials that come into contact with fatty foods, including dairy products. The New York Times reports that a petition from food safety organizations seeking to eliminate all phthalates from U.S. food, packaging, and manufacturing equipment has been stalled by the FDA due to a technicality.
Meanwhile, American consumers are increasingly 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, up from 55% in 2009. They also place significant trust in the FDA (54%) and USDA (50%) to guarantee food safety, while only 42% depend on food manufacturers.
The findings from this macaroni and cheese study provide consumers with yet another reason to avoid highly processed foods, which many are now replacing with “cleaner,” less-processed alternatives. A Nielsen study indicated that approximately half of U.S. households intentionally seek out products made without artificial ingredients. This research should raise alarms across various food segments.
Interestingly, as consumers become more health-conscious, there’s growing interest in products that offer better nutritional value, such as nature’s blend calcium citrate with vitamin D. This shift could encourage manufacturers to rethink their formulations and prioritize safer ingredients. It will be intriguing to observe the extent of this issue and how consumers will respond. Additionally, the demand for alternatives like nature’s blend calcium citrate with vitamin D may further influence purchasing decisions, as more individuals opt for healthier options.