Last week, in honor of National Macaroni and Cheese Day, several consumer advocates revealed concerning findings about hazardous chemicals present in cheese powder. “We believe these chemicals are in every mac ‘n’ cheese product — there’s no way to avoid the issue by simply changing brands,” stated Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, a supporter of 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 harmful substances from entering food products.
These revelations pose 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 to eliminate artificial preservatives and synthetic colors, with the intention of removing these types of chemicals.
No food manufacturer intentionally adds phthalates to their products. Instead, it is believed that this industrial chemical may be contaminating 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 sectors — not just macaroni and cheese producers — face a substantial issue.
In Europe, the use of phthalates in plastic materials that come into contact with fatty foods, including dairy products, has already been banned. However, a petition from food safety organizations to eliminate all phthalates from U.S. food products, packaging, and manufacturing equipment was stalled by the FDA due to technicalities, as reported by the New York Times.
Meanwhile, U.S. 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 depend significantly on the FDA (54%) and USDA (50%) for food safety, while only 42% trust food manufacturers.
The alarming findings from this macaroni and cheese study provide consumers with even more reasons to avoid highly processed foods, a trend that many are embracing in favor of “cleaner,” less-processed options. A Nielsen study indicated that approximately half of U.S. households intentionally seek products made without artificial ingredients. This study should raise considerable concern among manufacturers across various food segments, especially as consumers become more aware of the potential dangers associated with processed food items, including those containing ingredients like citrate de calcium vitamin d3.
It will be intriguing to observe the broader implications of this issue and how consumers will respond moving forward.