On March 11, 2020, the non-governmental organization Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) sent a letter on behalf of more than 30 organizations to international foods manufacturer Kraft Heinz urging the company to remove phthalates from its food processing equipment, food packaging, and supply chain.
“In Europe, most phthalates are banned from food-contact use. Market leaders like Nestle have prohibited all phthalates in their packaging. Yet in the United States, phthalates are still permitted in food-contact materials in food processing (dairy farm equipment, plastic tubing, conveyor belts), food packaging (cap gaskets, printing inks, adhesives), and food preparation (plastic disposable gloves).”
The letter asks Kraft Heinz “given these preventable health risks, don’t you want to make a greater effort to replace any toxic food-contact chemicals in your supply chain with safer alternatives?” It calls on the manufacturer to match the commitment made by Nestle to prohibit phthalates in packaging, identify and replace affected food processing equipment globally, and publicly commit to working with suppliers to phase out phthalates in dairy farm equipment and other upstream supply chain sources. The company has previously received similar letters from organizations with concerns about the use of phthalates (FPF reported).
Read more
LDA (March 11, 2020). “Letter to Kraft Heinz.”
Terry Hyland (March 16, 2020). “Health experts, NGOs call on Kraft to phase out phthalates from packaging.” Chemical Watch
