Phthalates are not intentionally added to Kraft products, the lawsuit says, but they are shed into food products during processing, packaging and preparation. 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. “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. In fact, phthalates are called “endocrine disruptors” because they affect the body’s hormones, including lowered growth expectations in children, claims the class action. Research cited in the class action lawsuit shows a link between phthalate exposure harmful health risks for both children and adults.Ĭhildren’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. 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.
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.