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Kraft macaroni and cheese products contain chemicals that have been linked to asthma, allergies, obesity, and hormone interference in children, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
The proposed nationwide class action lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California on April 5, claiming on behalf of lead Plaintiffs Aaron Clarke and Michelle Devera that The Kraft Heinz company knowingly allows harmful toxins in its food products.
Instead of making an effort to remove the chemicals, the company allegedly prioritized profits over the safety of its customers, according to the claim.
The class action lawsuit notes that Kraft has received calls from consumer advocates since 2017 to remove phthalates from its products, which are synthetic chemicals used to make plastics flexible.
Out of 30 Kraft cheese products tested by independent testers, 29 contained phthalates, including eight of the nine Kraft mac and cheese products specifically, the lawsuit states. Phthalate levels were more than four times higher in macaroni and cheese powder samples than other natural cheese, and the most widely restricted phthalate, DHEP, was the most present, the lawsuit says.
Research cited in the class action lawsuit shows a link between phthalate exposure harmful health risks for both children and adults.
Children’s exposure to phthalates has been connected to an increased risk of developing asthma, allergies, obesity, bronchial obstruction, developmental deficiencies, and even undescended testicles in babies. In fact, phthalates are called “endocrine disruptors” because they affect the body’s hormones, including lowered growth expectations in children, claims the class action.
“Since testosterone is absolutely vital to build his reproductive organs, the worry is that you will get malformations and other kinds of problems that translate to health effects later,” research cited in the lawsuit says.
Long-term, those problems could also include infertility, low sperm counts, altered male reproductive behavior, and changes in the area of the brain that are important for sex differences between men and women, as well as a heightened risk of testicular cancer later on, research in the class action explains.
Phthalates are not intentionally added to Kraft products, the lawsuit says, but they are shed into food products during processing, packaging and preparation. The lawsuit says that low levels of exposure to the chemical can have more serious effects than high-level exposure.
“The inclusion of phthalates in the products is entirely preventable,” the lawsuit claims, “And yet, putting its profits above the health of its customers, Defendant has refused to take steps to prevent the adulteration of its products with phthalates.”
Currently, the chemical is banned in children’s toy and care products in the US, along with 14 other countries.
Clarke and Devera want to represent anyone nationwide who bought Kraft products, and who are also a subclass of California residents. They are suing for fraud and breach of warranty, and are seeking certification of the Class, damages, restitution, injunctive relief and a jury trial.
Kraft is not the only company facing a lawsuit over chemicals in its mac and cheese. A class action lawsuit was filed against Annie’s earlier this month also over phthalates.
Do you eat Kraft or Annie’s mac and cheese products? Let us know in the comments section!
The plaintiffs are represented by L. Timothy Fisher of Bursor & Fisher, P.A.
The Kraft Mac and Cheese Class Action Lawsuit is Clarke v. The Kraft Heinz Company, et al., Case No. 3:21-cv-02437, in the U.S. District Court Northern District of California.
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1,338 thoughts onKraft Mac and Cheese Contains Chemicals Linked to Childhood Asthma, Obesity, and Hormone Interference, Claims Class Action Lawsuit
I have ate these products for years and my child has also. This is alarming news.
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