PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 24, 2021
General Mills, the corporate parent of Annie’s Homegrown, announced last week that it will begin eliminating ortho-phthalates from Annie’s packaging and food processing equipment, about four years after the chemical was identified in popular macaroni and cheese products. The chemical, which makes plastic more flexible, is often used in food processing equipment, such as tubing and conveyor belts, and can be picked up by food, particularly dairy products such as cheese, as it’s processed. Defend Our Health, a 10-person Portland organization formed 19 years ago, has worked with General Mills to get the company to agree to eliminate the chemicals.