Consumer Reports has called on General Mills to cut down on phthalates in its packaged food products.
Elizabeth Napolitano reports for CBS News.
In short:
- Consumer Reports found high levels of phthalates in various General Mills foods, including Annie's Organic Cheesy Ravioli and Cheerios.
- The advocacy group launched a petition urging the elimination of these plasticizers, known to compromise durability and flexibility in plastics.
- Research links phthalates to several health risks, including heart disease and obesity, raising significant concerns about their presence in food.
Key quote:
"When you buy organic, the last thing you'd expect is that you would be eating plastic chemicals."
— Brian Ronholm, Consumer Reports director of food policy
Why this matters:
This issue touches on the unexpected presence of harmful plastic chemicals in foods marketed as healthy and addresses a need for more stringent regulations to protect consumer health, especially against diseases linked to these chemicals.
