

There is strong evidence that phthalates block the production of the hormone testosterone. In a 2014 report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, it was concluded that food, drugs, and beverages, and not toys, were the primary source of exposure to phthalates. On the other hand, Europe has banned many phthalates from use in plastics that come into contact with fatty foods, including baby food.

The Food and Drug Administration has not banned it from food and classifies them as indirect food additives. The phthalate concentrations in powder from mac and cheese mixes were more than four times higher than in block cheese and other natural cheeses like shredded cheese, string cheese, and cottage cheese. They found high levels of phthalates in all of them. The study tested 10 different varieties of mac and cheese, all purchased in the United States, and included some that were labeled organic. This new study of 30 cheese products found phthalates in all but one of the samples tested, with the highest concentrations found in the highly-processed cheese powder in boxed mac and cheese mixes. Sheela Sathyanarayana, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle, who studies phthalates.Īnd here’s a scary statistic for you, two million boxes of mac and cheese are bought every day in the United States alone (according to figures for the year 2013). Since they bind with fats, they tend to build up in fatty foods, including not just cheese but baked goods, infant formula, meats, oils and fats, and fast food, studies show.Įmerging research has also suggested links between early childhood exposure to phthalates and neurodevelopmental and behavior problems in young children, including aggression, hyperactivity, and possible cognitive delays, said Dr. The chemicals migrate into food from packaging and equipment used in manufacturing, to soften plastics, as solvents, in adhesives, and in ink on packaging. These chemicals are known to disrupt male hormones like testosterone and have been linked to genital birth defects in infant boys and learning and behavior problems in older children. The chemicals in this kids’ favorite meal (and adults’ guilty pleasure) are called phthalates. Harmful chemicals that were banned from children’s teething rings and rubber duck toys over ten years ago seem to be present, in high concentrations, in a food beloved by almost all children: macaroni and cheese made with powdered cheese. Vaginal and Uterine Septum Corrective Surgery.LEEP Procedure & Cold Knife Cone Biopsy.Minimally Invasive Outpatient Hysterectomy.Osteoporosis and Osteopenia In Menopause.

