To mark National Macaroni and Cheese Day last week, consumer advocates publicly shared findings regarding hazardous chemicals present in cheese powder. “We believe that every mac ‘n’ cheese product contains these substances — there’s no way to avoid the issue by simply shopping differently,” stated Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, which supports the study, in an interview with The New York Times. Consumer advocacy groups are now encouraging individuals to reach out to manufacturers and demand action to prevent these chemicals from entering food products.
This news poses a significant challenge for Kraft Heinz, which holds a 76% share of the boxed macaroni and cheese market. Kraft produces nine of the tested cheese products, according to The New York Times. Recently, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese underwent a major reformulation aimed at eliminating artificial preservatives and synthetic colors, ostensibly to remove these harmful chemicals.
No food manufacturer intentionally adds phthalates to their products. Instead, it is believed that this industrial chemical is contaminating food items through printed labels or plastic materials used in food processing equipment. If this is indeed the case, the entire consumer packaged goods (CPG) and food processing industries face a substantial problem, not just those producing macaroni and cheese.
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 has been stalled by the FDA due to technicalities.
Meanwhile, U.S. consumers continue to take 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%), while only 42% depend on food manufacturers.
The results of this macaroni and cheese study provide consumers with yet another reason to avoid heavily processed foods, with many opting for “cleaner,” less-processed alternatives. A Nielsen study revealed that about half of U.S. households intentionally seek products made without artificial ingredients. This issue should be a major concern for manufacturers across various food segments, including those producing calcium citrate with vitamin D chews, as it highlights the growing consumer demand for safer food options. The extent of this problem and consumer reactions will be interesting to observe.