4 favorite foods with the most toxic plasticizers
Key Takeaways
The use of phthalates in food processing and packaging has led to widespread daily exposure, often in foods that are marketed as healthy.
Phthalates are endocrine disruptors with significant implications for human health.
Avoiding processed foods helps lessen phthalate exposure until manufacturing practices can be made safer.
Phthalates are plasticizers—chemicals that make plastic more flexible and durable. Although useful, the widespread application of phthalates in manufacturing has left their residue on almost everything humans touch, from printed receipts to household dust and even our favorite foods and beverages.[]
A 2024 report from Consumer Reports revealed some startling facts—many of the items topping their list of foods with the highest concentration of toxic plasticizers are marketed as health foods, including the following.[]
Fairlife Core Power high-protein chocolate milkshakes
Annie’s Organic cheesy ravioli
Yoplait Original French vanilla low-fat yogurt
Chicken of the Sea pink salmon
While experts have yet to establish an official safe limit for phthalate exposure, there’s good evidence that less is probably better.[] MDLinx spoke with a dietitian and a food scientist for insights into this growing concern.
Potential impact on human health
“Phthalates are known to interfere with the action of hormones in our bodies. They may imitate certain hormones or prevent them from performing normal biological processes,” explains Tami Best, a functional and integrative registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching.
Best emphasizes that endocrine disruptors like phthalates have long-reaching implications for the human body, particularly in vulnerable populations. “Changing the function or efficacy of hormones can disrupt growth, development, reproduction, immunity, stress regulation, circadian rhythm, and metabolic health,” she says.
One of the biggest concerns about phthalates is that because they’re so ubiquitous, exposure is ongoing. “Often, the harmful impacts are not noted immediately or even obvious and can occur over a lifetime,” says Best.
How phthalates sneak into the food supply
“Since plastic is being used more than it ever has, we are just now seeing the effects of overuse,” explains Stephanie Laham, food scientist and director of research and development for Lyman Orchards. “Various points of entry throughout the food production process allow for phthalate exposure. From the environment to agricultural practices, to processing to packaging, every step from farm to table represents a potential opportunity for phthalates to enter your food or personal care products.”
Consumer Reports has been investigating the levels of phthalates and other toxins in the food supply for decades. In addition to the foods marketed as healthy and organic, their 2024 report also revealed that many favorite fast food items, including Wendy’s crispy chicken nuggets, Chipotle’s chicken burrito, and Burger King’s Whopper with cheese, were also very high in phthalates.
The investigators also determined that levels are almost impossible to predict from food to food: For example, in a test of frozen pizza, one brand tested much higher than another for the same item, although the brands were comparable.[]
Challenges of reducing exposure
“The main issue is it's not just one type of product we can focus on,” Laham tells MDLinx. “The production facility in which a product is made can greatly affect phthalate levels. Some facilities may have more plastic tubing and conveyors than others, which greatly increases the risk of leaching. Ingredients and/or final products heated in plastic containers or stored in plastic are more prone to increased phthalate concentrations.”
Best added, “A difficult aspect of avoiding contact with phthalates is that they are not just a single chemical; they are a family of chemicals that come in many forms. The reality is they show up in just about all packaged foods in varying amounts. They are difficult to detect on labels and are not always identified since they come in many forms.”
But even if food companies took the initiative to specify phthalate amounts in food, measuring overall daily exposure remains an elusive goal.
“Unfortunately,” says Best, “since the health implications could be caused by the cumulative exposure of these chemicals, having thresholds may do little good for protecting the health of humans.” A 2023 study by the EPA bears this out.[]
Practical tips to protect your patients
The Consumer Reports findings demonstrate that the health claims on processed foods aren’t telling the whole story. While health-conscious consumers often shop for more protein, less sugar, or other desirable qualities, processed foods have inherent risks that simply aren’t spelled out on the label.
“There are no regulations in place for food products because there hasn't been any real testing done to see what levels are safe and what aren't,” says Laham. “There are connections between phthalates and certain diseases, but no way to prove them since phthalates are found in almost everything.”
As a follow-up to their recent investigation, Consumer Reports has started an online petition to the FDA to get phthalates out of food.[]
For now, the best way to avoid phthalates is by sticking to unprocessed foods. Best explaines, “The more food is processed, the more opportunity for these phthalates to enter the food chain. Many health foods such as protein powders, protein drinks, and green powders go through a large amount of processing, making them at risk for higher levels of these plasticizers.”
“To reduce exposure to phthalates, look for the words: phthalate-free,” advises Best. She also suggested the following tips:
Use the Environmental Working Group's list of preferred cosmetics.[]
Do not store or reheat foods in plastic containers.
Choose foods sold in glass or in bulk, which have less opportunity to encounter plastic.
Pay attention to the farming practices producing your dairy and meat products.
Search for suppliers who actively avoid exposing their animals to plastic.
What this means for you
Phthalates are embedded in the food supply, even “healthy food.” Currently, there’s no practical way to measure exposure or quantify their effects. However, consumers and patients should be advised that health claims on food labels can’t compensate for the purity of food that bypasses modern-day processing altogether.