Toxic Phthalates Found In Everyday Processed Foods — Guide

Another study just released testing everyday foods for an endocrine disrupting chemical called phthalates. Not very many organic foods were tested, however, it gives us a good glimpse of how much of this chemical is present in highly processed foods. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best water filters that can handle PFAS “forever chemicals,” best salts with the lowest amounts of lead, safest oatmilk tested for glyphosate, and safest butters sans PFAS “forever chemicals” in the wrapper, now join us for another consumer study covering phthalates in everyday foods.

Disclosure: This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. This post also contains affiliate links, most of which are to Amazon. Please note that Mamavation is covering a study done by Consumer Reports. We did not commission this testing and are not responsible for any of the claims made. It’s also important to understand that manufacturing aides can change without notice to the consumer so buyer beware. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you! 

Phthalates Found in Everyday Foods in Concerning Amounts

A new consumer study by Consumer Reports sent 85 everyday food products to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for phthalates, an endocrine-disrupting plasticizer found commonly in manufacturing and packaging. (They also tested for bispenols but did not share the data from that additional testing.) Most of what they tested was not organic or “natural” foods, but they did test a few organic products. The result was an overwhelming amount of phthalates found in everyday processed foods.

They tested samples from many categories. After we averaged all the data together, it was obvious the products with the highest amounts came from the following categories in this order from highest to lowest:

• Prepared Meals — 7 products (average 13,727 nanograms per serving)
• Fast Food — 18 products (average 11,594 nanograms per serving)
• Dairy — 10 products (average 7,714 nanograms per serving)
• Packaged Fruits & Vegetables — 6 products (average 7,045 nanograms per serving)
• Seafood — 6 products (average 6,862 nanograms per serving)
• Canned Beans — 4 products (average 6,536 nanograms per serving)
• Grains — 3 products (average 5,824 nanograms per serving)
• Meat & Poultry — 9 products (average 3,879 nanograms per serving)
• Beverages — 9 products (average 3,620 nanograms per serving)
• Infant Food — 7 products (average 2,268 nanograms per serving)
• Condiments — 3 products (average 535 nanograms per serving)

Based on this information, it’s safe to say that the less processed your food is, the lower the amount of phthalates you are likely to find inside. Even the dairy products exhibited this rule because when you look at what was tested, the highest amounts were for things like high protein shakes and the lowest amounts were from plain old butter. Only ONE beverage product did not have any detectable amounts of phthalates and that was this product–Polar Seltzer Raspberry Lime (canned).

How Do Phthalates Impact Your Health?

Phthalates are bad for everyone’s hormones, but scientists have recently found them to be more problematic for boys than girls. An article published in the Journal of Neurotoxicology investigated whether exposure to phthalates during pregnancy could affect the emotional and behavioral development of two-year-old children. The answer was a resounding YES, but those effects were observable for boys and not for girls at that age.

Similar studies done in the past decade have also found connections between phthalates calling them “gender-bending” chemicals. This study recruited women who were 11 to 18 weeks pregnant and analyzed their urine for phthalates (DEHP, DiNP and MBzBP) and then followed up with those children at the age of two.

Outcomes from Phthalate Studies on Human Children

What types of issues did all these studies on human children observe?

• Shortened Anogenital Distance (AGD) — This is the skin between the anus and the base of the penis. Earlier studies have shown that the AGD is twice in boys as it is in girls, which is because of the high rates of the hormone testosterone. This AGD difference is not as pronounced in little boys exposed to higher levels of phthalates in utero.
• Undescended Testicles — Children exposed to higher amounts of phthalates in utero are more likely to have undescended testicles.
• Changing Masculinazation — This is best described by Dr. Fred Vom Saal as an aversion to “rough and tumble” play or reduced aggression.
• Scored Lower in Personal & Social Development — These skills would include the ability to interact and communicate with others and they are worse among boys exposed to higher levels of phthalates in utero.
• Emotional Discomfort — This is where scientists looked at scales of emotional reactivity, anxiety, and depression and found those to be higher among children exposed to higher rates of phthalates in utero.

Outcomes from Phthalate Studies on Animals

Here are some additional health impacts that have been determined through additional studies, some of which are on animals:

• Altered thyroid, progesterone, and estrogen activity in pregnant women as well as nonpregnant adults and children;
• Preterm birth, which may occur through disruption of endocrine pathways or other mechanisms such as oxidative stress and/or inflammation;
• Altered reproductive development;
• Altered neurodevelopment;
• May increase the risk of allergic diseases including asthma and eczema
• Can cross the placenta and are detectable in amniotic fluid;
• Altering placental development and function;
• Detrimentally impact the course of reproductive function, pregnancy, and fetal development;
• Alterations in infant/toddler development as well as parent-reported externalizing, internalizing, and autistic-like child behavior.

How Do Phthalates Get Into Everyday Foods

Consumer Reports included a breakdown of how phthalates get into food. There are several ways this can happen, but all of these situations can be lowered by brands if they are watching out for these issues in their supply chain and testing:

• Packaging: Plasticizers, such as phthalates and bisphenols, are used in packaging like plastic wrap, jar gaskets, or metal can linings.
• Processing & Manufacturing: Many avenues are available to contaminate food in terms of processing and manufacturing. If the food is dairy, the process of pasteurization and high temperatures can speed up and increase leaching from plasticizers. The use of vinyl gloves, flexible plastic tubing, and conveyor belts can also leach phthalates into food.
• Agriculture: Animals such as cows may consume water and plants that are already contaminated with plasticizers. Plastic mulch is also used frequently on farms to suppress the growth of weeds. Different types of plants can uptake plasticizers right along with other nutrients in the soil at a higher rate than other plants.
• Environmental: Within the environment, you have incineration and production of plastics that can release chemicals into the air that then fall down on crops or other food production areas. Plastic trash in landfills can also degrade which leach plasticizers into ground water and soil. Microplastics that have broken down in waterways can also get into food during food production.

How to Avoid Hormone-Disrupting Plasticizers, Like Phthalates, In Your Food

There are many things that can be done to lower the amount of plasticizers like phthalates in your food. Here are some things you can do right away to lower your exposure:

• Cook more from scratch. Make your food from scratch and “process” your food as much as you can inside your own kitchen with whole ingredients. For instance, instead of buying spaghetti sauce already made, consider purchasing the ingredients separately and make yourself.
• Limit fast food and prepared meals at home. The foods with the highest amounts of phthalates were prepared foods and fast foods. Need I say more? If you are looking for healthy alternatives to prepared foods, fast food or snacks that aren’t processed, click here.
• Avoid heating food in plastic in the microwave. When plastic is heated, like in the microwave, it leaches plasticizer chemicals into the food.
• Avoid storing food in plastic (or silicone.) Opt for glass and stainless steel as much as possible. Even food grade silicone was found to have issues via latest studies.
• Avoid using plastic utensils to eat with. Here are our recommended flatware & silverware.
• Avoid plastic water bottles. Here’s our recommended reusable water bottles.
• Avoid using plastic straws in your reusable water bottle. Check out alternative stainless steel straws for your Stanley here.
• Avoid non-stick cookware. Here’s our recommended cookware.

How to Avoid Hormone-Disrupting Plasticizers, Like Phthalates, In Your Everyday Environment

Phthalates are also found in your everyday environment, but you can take steps to lower your exposure here too. Here are our top recommendations to lower phthalate exposure in your home.

• Avoid “fragrance” in your personal care product or other consumer products. Here’s our recommended personal care products for you to choose from when trying to avoid phthalates.
  • Makeup
  • Lotion
  • Hand Cremes
  • Anti-Acne Products
  • Anti-Aging Creams
  • Soap & Body Wash
  • Liquid Hand Soaps
  • Sunscreens
  • Body Oils
  • Nail Polish
  • Face Wash & Moisturizers
  • Hair Styling Products
  • Hairsprays
  • Detanglers
  • Leave-In Conditioners
  • Hair Dye
  • Deodorant
  • Dry Shampoo
  • Shampoo & Conditioner
  • Shampoo Bars & Conditioner Bars
  • Peel-Off Facial Masks, Sheet Facial Masks, & K-beauty Facial Masks
  • Beard Oil
  • Self Tanning Products
• Open your windows daily and dust weekly. Phthalates accumulate and attach themselves to household dust from all sorts of places like your flooring, electrical equipment like televisions, shower curtains, furniture, etc. Opening your windows allows dust a place to escape to and dusting weekly rids the environment of that dust accumulating inside your home. Yes, dust bunnies are toxic.
• Consider getting a really good air purifier. Here are our recommended air purifiers and we recommend you place them by your electrical equipment (like the television), inside the bedrooms, and in the kitchen.
• Limit your use of vinyl products. Vinyl can be found in flooring, shower curtains, table cloths, vegan leather alternatives, & car interiors. Vinyl very commonly contains phthalates.
• Refuse paper receipts. Most thermal receipt paper is coated with BPS powder. BPS is a cousin to BPA, yet considered by independent scientists to be more problematic. Retail stores that avoid this dangerous thermal receipt paper and are safer to shop at are Target, CVS, Best Buy, & Trader Joes. However, most retail stores use this type of paper. If that paper is shiny, it’s very likely to contain a BPS coating and should be avoided.

More Consumer Studies on Phthalates in Dairy & Cooking Oils

In 2023, a scientific report co-authored by Defend Our Health published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology found phthalates in a range of popular children’s foods, dairy products, cooking oils, and organic products. Very few products were non-detect showcasing how ubiquitous phthalates are in the food supply, including in organic food. The following categories were tested:

• Cheese Powder products
• Infant Formula
• Milk
• Cooking Oils

Please note these results were reported a bit differently than the Consumer Reports study we are covering here. While Defend Our Health reported them in the parts per billion (ppb) based on limited sampling via ordinary lab standards. Consumer Reports instead reported the amounts based on serving size, which is exactly how much you would be consuming in a sitting. This would be done by asking the lab to report how many phthalate per gram and then multiplying that by the grams in the serving size.

Although very useful for the public, this has made it very difficult for us to compare the differences side by side because we don’t know the original sampling amount to be able to figure everything out via sample size. But regardless, we wanted to make sure you also saw this report.

Mamavation’s Investigation on Phthalates in Everyday Foods

Mamavation weighed the raw data from the Consumer Reports study on phthalates tested in everyday processed foods. Instead of drawing the same lines via the last study from Defend Our Health, we have created a new standard based on what was present. Again, it’s impossible for us to compare because the reporting method was not apples to apples, so to speak. Here’s how we divided the study for your understanding:

• Not Our Favorite Processed Foods: These products had phthalate levels above 6,000 nanograms per serving.
• Better Processed Foods: These products had phthalate levels between 1,000 and 6,000 nanograms per serving.
• Best Processed Foods: These products had phthalate levels below 1,000 nanograms per serving.

We were not able to include the results of bisphenols that were found because Consumer Reports did not make that additional information public for some reason. Why? It’s possible they are planning on using that data to sue under Prop. 65 in California to force brands to produce a legal warning on their product and then later collect revenue.

Not Our Favorite Processed Foods

According to Consumer Reports, these products have over 6,000 nanograms of phthalates in a serving.

Beverages

• Lipton Brisk Lemonade (canned) — 7,467 nanograms
• Coca-Cola Original (in plastic) — 6,167 nanograms

Canned Beans

• Hormel Chili with Beans (canned) — 9,847 nanograms
• Bush’s Chili Red Beans Milk Chili Sauce (canned) — 6,405 nanograms
• Great Value (Walmart) Baked Beans Original (canned) — 6,184 nanograms

Dairy

• Fairlife Core Power High Protein Milk Shake Chocolate (in plastic) — 20,452 nanograms
• SlimFast High Protein Meal Replacement Shake Creamy Chocolate (in plastic) — 16,916 nanograms
• Yoplait Original Low Fat Yogurt French Vanilla (in plastic) — 10,948 nanograms
• Tuscan Dairy Farm Whole Milk (in plastic) — 10,932 nanograms
• Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Vanilla (paperboard carton) — 6,387 nanograms

Fast Food

• Wendy’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets (in paperboard) — 33,980 nanograms (Please note that Mamavation’s lab also found indications of PFAS in packaging in an earlier study)
• Moe’s Southwest Grill Chicken Burrito (in aluminum foil) — 24,330 nanograms
• Chipotle Chicken Burrito (in aluminum foil) — 20,579 nanograms
• Burger King Whopper with Cheese (in paper) — 20,167 nanograms (Please note that Mamavation’s lab also found indications of PFAS in packaging in an earlier study)
• Burger King Chicken Nuggets (in paper bag) — 19,782 nanograms
• Wendy’s Dave’s Single with Cheese (in aluminum foil/ paper wrap) — 19,520 nanograms
• McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese (cardboard) — 9,956 nanograms
• Wendy’s Natural-Cut French Fries (paperboard) — 8,876 nanograms
• Burger King Classic French Fries (paperboard) — 8,512 nanograms
• McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets (cardboard) — 8,030 nanograms (Please note that Mamavation’s lab also found indications of PFAS in packaging in an earlier study)

Grains

• General Mills Cheerios Original (paper/cardboard) — 10,980 nanograms

Meat & Poultry

• Perdue Ground Chicken Breast (foam tray with plastic wrap) — 9,985 nanograms

Packaged Fruits & Vegetables

• Del Monte Sliced Peaches in 100% Fruit Juice (can) — 24,928 nanograms

Prepared Meals

• Annie’s Organic Cheese Ravioli (canned) — 53,579 nanograms
• Chef Boyardee Beefaroni Pasta in Tomato and Meat Sauce (canned) — 13,628 nanograms
• Banquet Chicken Pot Pie (plastic/paperboard) — 12,494 nanograms
• Campbell’s Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle Soup (plastic) 6,768 nanograms

Seafood

• Chicken of the Sea Pink Salmon in Water Skinless Boneless (canned) — 24,321 nanograms
• King Oscar Wild Caught Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (canned) — 7,792 nanograms

Better Processed Foods

According to Consumer Reports, these products have over 1,000 nanograms of phthalates but less than 6,000 nanograms per serving.

Beverages

• Lipton Diet Green Tea Citrus (plastic) — 4,433 nanograms
• Poland Spring 100% Natural Spring Water (plastic) — 4,217 nanograms
• Juicy Juice 100% Juice Apple (plastic) — 3,348 nanograms
• Pepsico Cola (canned) — 2,938 nanograms
• Juicy Juice 100% Juice Apple (cardboard box) — 2,260 nanograms
• Gatorade Frost Thirst Quencher Glacier Freeze (plastic) — 1,752 nanograms

Canned Beans

• Bush’s Baked Beans Original (canned) — 3,709 nanograms

Condiments

• Mrs. Butterworth’s Syrup Original (plastic) — 1,010 nanograms

Dairy

• Wholesome Pantry (ShopRite) Organic Whole Milk (carton) — 4,620 nanograms
• Great Value (Walmart) Ice Cream Homestyle Vanilla (plastic) — 3,068 nanograms
• Jell-O Pudding Snacks Original Chocolate (plastic) — 1,756 nanograms
• Sargento Sliced Natural Cheddar Cheese Sharp (plastic) — 1,481 nanograms

Fast Food

• Little Caesars Classic Cheese Pizza (cardboard box) — 5,703 nanograms
• McDonald’s French Fries (paperboard) — 5,538 nanograms
• McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Hamburger Patty (varied) — 5,428 nanograms (Please note that Mamavation’s lab found indications of PFAS in packaging in an earlier study)
• Taco Bell Chicken Burrito (paper wrap) — 4,720 nanograms
• Domino’s Hand Tossed Cheese Pizza (cardboard box) — 4,356 nanograms
• Wendy’s Dave’s Single Hamburger Patty (varied) — 3,629 nanograms
• Burger King Whopper Hamburger Patty (varied) — 2,870 nanograms (Please note that Mamavation’s lab found indications of PFAS in wrappers in an earlier study)
• Pizza Hut Original Cheese Pan Pizza (cardboard box) — 2,718 nanograms

Grains

• Success 10 Minute Boil-in-Bag White Rice (paper/cardboard) — 4,308 nanograms
• Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White Bread (plastic bag) — 2,184 nanograms

Infant Food

• Gerber Mealtime for Baby Harvest Turkey Dinner (glass with lined lid) — 4,267 nanograms
• Similac Advance Infant Milk-Based Powder Formula (canned) — 4,202 nanograms
• Beech-Nut Fruities Pouch Pear, Banana & Raspberries (pouch) — 2,826 nanograms
• Gerber Cereal for Baby Rice (plastic) — 1,599 nanograms
• Happy Baby Organic Clearly Crafted Banana & Strawberries (glass with lined lid) — 1,300 nanograms

Meat & Poultry

• Trader Joe’s Ground Pork 80% Lean 20% Fat (foam tray with plastic wrap) — 5,503 nanograms
• Premio Foods Sweet Italian Sausage (foam tray with plastic wrap) — 4,725 nanograms
• Libby’s Corned Beef (canned) — 4,086 nanograms
• Bar S Chicken Jumbo Franks (plastic) — 3,295 nanograms
• Stop & Shop Ground Beef 80% Lean 20% Fat (paperboard with plastic wrap) — 2,729 nanograms
• Applegate Naturals Oven Roasted Turkey Breast (plastic) — 2,295 nanograms
• Swanson White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast (canned) — 1,376 nanograms

Packaged Fruits & Vegetables

• Green Giant Cream Style Sweet Corn (canned) — 7,603 nanograms
• Del Monte Fresh Cut Italian Green Beans (canned) — 5,264 nanograms
• Progresso Vegetable Classics Vegetable Soup (canned) — 2,888 nanograms

Prepared Meals

• Campbell’s Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle Soup (plastic) — 6,768 nanograms
• Chef Boyardee Big Bowl Beefaroni Pasta in Meat Sauce (plastic) — 5,064 nanograms
• Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup (canned) — 2,848 nanograms
• Red Baron Brick Oven Cheese-Trio Pizza (paperboard) — 1,707 nanograms

Seafood

• Snow’s Chopped Clams (canned) — 4,380 nanograms
• Starkist Wild Caught Light Tuna in Water (pouch) — 1,735 nanograms
• Starkist Chunk Light Tuna in Water (canned) — 1,687 nanograms
• Season Brand Sardines in Water Skinless & Boneless (canned) — 1,258 nanograms

Best Foods Processed Foods

According to Consumer Reports, these products have less than 1,000 nanograms per serving.

Beverages

• Polar Seltzer Raspberry Lime (canned) — 0 nanograms

Condiments

• Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup (canned) — 574 nanograms
• Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce (plastic) — 22 nanograms

Dairy

• Land O’Lakes Butter Salted (paper wrap/cardboard) — 581 nanograms (however, please note we found indications of PFAS in their butter wrapper. More on that here.)

Infant Foods

• Happy Baby Organic Milk-Based Infant Powder Formula with Iron (plastic) — 977 nanograms
• Gerber Organic for Baby Pouch Apple Zucchini Spinach Strawberry (pouch) — 706 nanograms

Meat & Poultry

• Johnsonville Smoked Sausage Beef Hot Links (plastic) — 912 nanograms

Packaged Fruits & Vegetables

• Bird’s Eye Steam Fresh Cut Green Beans (plastic bag) — 907 nanograms
• Hunt’s Tomato Sauce (canned) — 680 nanograms