To mark National Macaroni and Cheese Day last week, several consumer advocates publicly revealed the presence of hazardous chemicals in cheese powder. “We believe that these substances are present in every mac ‘n’ cheese product — there’s no way to avoid the issue through shopping,” stated Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, which supported the study, in an interview with The New York Times. Consumer advocacy groups are now encouraging individuals to reach out to manufacturers and insist on measures to prevent chemicals from contaminating food products.
These revelations are troubling news for Kraft Heinz, which dominates the boxed macaroni and cheese market with a 76% share. Kraft produces nine of the cheese products that were tested, according to The New York Times. Only a few years ago, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese underwent a significant reformulation to eliminate artificial preservatives and synthetic colors, ostensibly to remove these types of chemicals.
No food manufacturer is intentionally adding phthalates to their products. It is believed that this industrial chemical is infiltrating food items through 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 industries — not just macaroni and cheese producers — face a serious challenge.
In Europe, the use of phthalates in plastic food contact materials for fatty foods, including dairy, has already been banned. However, The New York Times reports that a petition from food safety organizations to eliminate all phthalates from U.S. food, packaging, and manufacturing equipment was stalled by the FDA on a technicality.
Meanwhile, consumers in the U.S. 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, a rise from 55% in 2009. They also depend heavily on the FDA (54%) and USDA (50%) for food safety, while only 42% trust food manufacturers.
The findings from this macaroni and cheese study provide consumers with yet another reason to avoid highly processed foods, prompting many to opt for “cleaner,” less-processed alternatives. A Nielsen study indicated that about half of U.S. households actively seek products made without artificial ingredients. This issue should be a significant concern for manufacturers across various food segments, including those identified by the code 681131122283. It will be intriguing to observe the widespread implications of this issue and how consumers will respond.