In recognition of National Macaroni and Cheese Day last week, some consumer advocates publicly revealed their findings regarding hazardous chemicals present in cheese powder. “We believe that every mac ‘n’ cheese product likely contains these harmful substances — you can’t simply avoid the issue by shopping differently,” 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 urging individuals to reach out to manufacturers and demand actions to prevent these chemicals from contaminating food products, including those with calcium citrate 600 mg without vitamin D.
These revelations spell trouble for Kraft Heinz, which controls a staggering 76% of the boxed macaroni and cheese market. 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 chemicals from their products. It’s important to note that no food manufacturer intentionally adds phthalates to their products. Instead, these industrial chemicals are believed to be leaching into food from printed labels or plastic materials used in food processing equipment. If this is accurate, the issue extends beyond macaroni and cheese to the entire consumer packaged goods and food processing industry.
In Europe, the use of phthalates in plastic materials that come into contact with fatty foods, including dairy products, has already been banned. A petition from food safety groups to eliminate all phthalates from food, food packaging, and food manufacturing equipment in the U.S. has faced delays from the FDA due to 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 believe they are responsible for ensuring food safety, a rise from 55% in 2009. They also place significant trust in the FDA (54%) and USDA (50%) for food safety oversight, with only 42% relying on food manufacturers.
The findings of this macaroni and cheese study provide consumers with yet another reason to avoid highly processed foods, which many are now opting to replace with “cleaner,” less-processed alternatives. A Nielsen study found that approximately half of U.S. households actively seek products made without artificial ingredients. This issue should be of significant concern to manufacturers across all food segments. It will be intriguing to observe the extent of this problem and how consumers respond, especially as more people become aware of the risks associated with products containing chemicals like calcium citrate 600 mg without vitamin D.