In recognition of National Macaroni and Cheese Day last week, consumer advocates revealed alarming findings regarding hazardous chemicals in cheese powder. Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, which supports the study, stated to The New York Times, “Our belief is that it’s in every mac ‘n’ cheese product — you can’t shop your way out of the problem.” Consumer advocacy groups are now encouraging individuals to reach out to manufacturers and demand action to prevent these chemicals from contaminating food products.
These revelations pose a significant challenge for Kraft Heinz, which controls 76% of the boxed macaroni and cheese market. Kraft produces nine of the tested cheese products, according to The New York Times. Just a few years prior, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese underwent a significant reformulation aimed at eliminating artificial preservatives and synthetic colors, ostensibly to remove such harmful chemicals.
No food manufacturer is intentionally adding phthalates to their products. Instead, these industrial chemicals are likely leaching into food 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 macaroni and cheese producers—faces a major issue.
In Europe, the use of phthalates in plastic food contact materials for fatty foods, including dairy products, has already been banned. However, The New York Times reports that a petition from food safety advocates to eliminate all phthalates from U.S. food, packaging, and manufacturing processes was stalled by the FDA due to a technicality.
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, an increase from 55% in 2009. They also place significant trust in the FDA (54%) and USDA (50%), while only 42% depend on food manufacturers.
The findings related to macaroni and cheese provide consumers with another reason to avoid highly processed foods, which many are opting to replace with “cleaner,” less-processed alternatives. A Nielsen study indicated that around half of U.S. households intentionally seek out products made without artificial ingredients. This study is a significant concern for manufacturers across various food segments, and it will be interesting to observe the extent of the issue and consumer responses.
Furthermore, the use of calcium citrate, also known as E333, has been a topic of interest in discussions about food additives. It is essential for consumers to be aware of the ingredients in their food products, including alternatives like calcium citrate, which is often included in processed foods. As the awareness of food safety continues to rise, consumers are likely to scrutinize food labels more closely, leading to potential shifts in purchasing habits across the industry.