Consumer Reports magazine featured a revealing cover story in its February edition exposing alarming levels of plastic in various food and consumer packaged goods across sectors including beverages, fresh meats, dairy products, fast foods, and even baby food. High concentrations of plasticizers, such as phthalates, intended to enhance plastic flexibility and durability, were found to be prevalent in our daily consumed foods. A separate study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences echoed the same concern: We are ingesting excessive amounts of plastic through our food and beverages. 

These studies reinforce consumer sentiment on social media, where food brands employing plastic packaging face constant criticism, urging others to opt for alternatives like glass. In fact, since the beginning of the year, our independent research has shown a dramatic spike in social media chatter and media coverage of plastics in our food, which will surely impact consumer choices in the future. Not only does this research confirm a growing concern among consumers, but retail buyers are following the lead of their customers and asking their suppliers to break with plastic packaging, too. This is a trend that is here to stay. 

The convergence of consumer and scientific concerns will likely result in forthcoming regulations from food safety authorities, marking a significant shift in food safety practices in the U.S. In fact, the Consumer Reports story has already sparked an online petition campaign urging the FDA to regulate the removal of phthalates from our foods. Additionally, the State of NY this past November filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo, holding them responsible for plastic bottle pollution in and around the state’s waterways, which may set a precedent for legal actions against other brands using plastic containers on environmental grounds.

In response to this multi-front anti-plastic movement, food brands should take strategic and aggressive steps to protect the health of their customers and their image at the same time.  

First course of action for brands is to thoroughly test their products to determine phthalate levels. Only armed with this data can they develop a plan and invest in necessary changes in packaging or production equipment or processes to minimize or eliminate these contaminants. Shortcuts may be tempting, but consumer or regulatory pressure will eventually compel changes based on health or pollution concerns. Independent organizations like the Clean Label Project Purity Award can test and certify CPGs for plastics and other toxins, providing brands with a valuable seal of approval for both quality control and marketing purposes—an advantageous first step.

Second, transforming a potential negative into a positive is crucial. If/when a product has a low (or even better!) zero plastic footprint, leverage this as a significant differentiator among the brand’s competitors. Don’t be shy about marketing and amplifying this on social media channels, the brand’s website or within the press. And I would certainly add language to the product’s label, as “plastic-free” or “phthalate-free” may one day be as common on labels as nutritional information.

Plastic is quickly becoming the next frontier in food and beverage safety in the U.S. Environmental impact concerns will only expedite this. The challenge for CPG brands is whether to wait and see or address it head on with substantial changes to their production and packaging. The latter seems to be the wiser and more profitable choice.