Which ghees have the least toxic phthalate contamination? Ghee is a type of clarified butter used for cooking and when Mamavation sent these products off to our EPA-certified lab, phthalates were found. Phthalates are hormone-disrupting chemicals often used as additives in plastics and fragrances that find their way into many foods and personal care products.
To solve this puzzle, Mamavation sent several of the most popular ghees off to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for several types of phthalates to find out.
You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like safest olive oils tested for phthalates, safest coconut oils tested for phthalates, safest salt sans heavy metals and microplastics, safest cookware without PFAS “forever chemicals” and nanoparticles, and safest water purifiers that filter PFAS, now join us for another consumer study on ghees and hormone-disrupting phthalates.
Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry and Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, (2) Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program and Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, and Yale University, and (3) Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-author of Our Stolen Future.
This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware.
This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!
Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found phthalates in 7 popular ghees. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects, which we will discuss later. Because phthalates are so problematic to normal hormone action, Mamavation has commissioned our own scientific studies on phthalates in food products to make recommendations for the safest ghees.
Continue reading Mamavation’s article on these products to find which brands have the lowest amounts of phthalates according to our laboratory.
For this consumer study, Mamavation sent 7 popular ghees from 7 brands to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for phthalates. Because Mamavation only tested one product per brand, we cannot claim to know if these issues are, in fact, industry-wide or brand-wide. However, based on our “spot-check” of the industry, this is what we found:
If you are using ghees to prepare meals for your family, this investigation will be very important to follow to reduce your family’s exposure to phthalates. However, as you can see, every ghee manufacturer whose products Mamavation studied has work to do to remove phthalates from their products. None of the ghees that Mamavation tested had zero detections of phthalates.
Phthalates are typically found inside plastics and in undisclosed fragrances. When in plastics, they work to make the plastic more flexible. When they are in fragrances, they help carry the scent longer in the air. These chemical contaminants are found in many types of products that are involved in the food service industry like food service gloves, tubing used in dairy operations, hoses, holding tanks, and conveyor belts inside manufacturing plants.
In fact, there are so many places where phthalates can show up because they are legal indirect food additives used in manufacturing for both conventional AND organic foods. There is some movement to restrict some ortho-phthalate chemicals from food packaging but not from manufacturing in general.
After reviewing our investigation, Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program and Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, and Yale University, had a few words:
“It’s very concerning that all ghees tested had detections of phthalates. This widespread contamination of the food supply needs immediate attention from the companies and federal authorities. More and more research is pointing to the dangers of phthalates at very low levels similar to what is found in this report.”
Our laboratory found six different types of phthalates in the ghee we sent to them. Here’s a brief breakdown of each type of phthalate our lab found.
| Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) — This type of phthalate is an organic compound commonly used as a plasticizer, and as an additive to adhesives or printing inks. It usually is a colorless oil, but can have a yellow color. Use of this substance in cosmetics, such as in nail polishes, is banned in the European Union. DBP is one of the six phthalic acid esters found on the Priority Pollutant List regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Animal studies have observed that DBP is toxic to fetal development. This phthalate is associated with additional health concerns like reproductive toxicity, prenatal, perinatal, and post-natal toxicity, and genotoxicity. |
| Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) — This type of phthalate is used as a plasticizer. The European Union has set restrictions on this chemical inside food contact materials because of the determination that it’s problematic to human health. DINP is also listed on the California Prop. 65 list of carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. |
| Di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) — This type of phthalate is a colorless, odorless, oily liquid that doesn’t evaporate easily and is used to keep plastics soft or more flexible. It is used for medical tubing and blood storage bags, wire and cables, carpetback coating, floor tile, adhesives, cosmetics, and pesticides. Animal studies have demonstrated increased fetal malformations and reduced body weights of offspring. DnOP comprises about 20% of commercial C6-10 phthalate mixtures used in flooring and carpet tiles, tarps, pool liners, and garden hoses. DnOP is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an indirect food additive which is typically used in manufacturing as seam cements, bottle cap liners, and conveyor belts. DnOP are classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as priority environmental pollutants. |
| Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) — Found commonly in PVC plastics, artificial leather, toys, carpet backing, covering on wires and cables, and pool liners. This chemical is also on California’s Prop. 65 list of carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. It’s associated with health concerns including liver and kidney toxicity, developmental issues, endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, asthma and allergies, and thyroid problems. |
| Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) — DEHP is a highly toxic endocrine disruptor. It was also the most common phthalate found by our lab and is found commonly in building products (wallpaper, wire, and cable insulation), clothing (footwear, raincoats), car products, food packaging, medical devices, and children’s products (toys, grip bumpers). This chemical is also on California’s Prop. 65 list of carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. In addition, it’s been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, developmental issues, liver and kidney toxicity, asthma and allergies, and thyroid problems. |
| Bis(2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DPHP) — This type of phthalate is a substitute for other high molecular weight phthalates used primarily for high-temperature applications such as cable wires, roofing membranes, and food containers. It is used to soften plastics and is a general-use plasticizer under investigation as an endocrine disruptor. This phthalate is associated with additional health concerns like reproductive toxicity, prenatal, perinatal, and post-natal toxicity, and genotoxicity. |
Another scientific report co-authored by our friends at Defend Our Health published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology found phthalates in a range of popular children’s foods and organic products in 2023.
However, all coconut oils, olive oils, and avocado oils tested by Defend Our Health also had trace amounts of phthalates. It’s not so much a question of whether there are phthalates present in other types of cooking oils. It’s a matter of what levels are present. All of our previous studies confirmed that these cooking oils have varying levels of phthalates present.
Phthalates are linked to many health effects from several studies on both animals and humans. This is very problematic because phthalates are linked with disruption of the endocrine system, which regulates the body’s hormones, even in trace amounts in low concentrations.
Epidemiological studies have revealed that exposure to phthalates adversely affects the level of hormones within the body, which can impact many important health functions. Here are some health effects phthalate exposure is linked to.
After reviewing our investigation, Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry and Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, made this remark:
“As a chemistry professor, I have for over two decades taught students of chemistry and other disciplines about the developmental perils associated with trace contamination of their bodies by endocrine disrupting chemicals, perils that might impact both them and their future children.
I always counsel them that my best advice for protecting themselves and their reproductive cells is to eat organic food whenever and wherever possible. But alas, here Mamvation is again finding powerful endocrine-disrupting phthalates in organic food.This is just so disappointing.
But it has to mean that America can massively increase its sustainability competence by regulating endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates out of all foods. Such an obviously essential innovation would be a massively consequential gift to all American children and future generations.”
Because phthalates are so problematic to human health, there are varying restrictions on products and food at the federal level. There is, however, no consistency among federal agencies to protect the public. For instance, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) restricts certain phthalates within children’s toys and childcare products. They prohibit the import and sale of those products that contain more than 0.1% of the following phthalates:
| Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) | Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) |
| Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) | Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) |
| Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) | Di-n-pentyl phthalate (DPENP) |
| Di-n-hexyl phthalate (DHEXP) | Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) |
Even though the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission restricted 8 ortho-phthalates in products intended for use by children, you still see some of the same chemicals approved as indirect additives by the FDA in the food supply even when those foods are marketed to children. Furthermore, the FDA denied a citizen petition in 2022 which demanded to take these phthalate chemicals out of the food supply because they impact the hormones of children.
California also has some restrictions under the Prop. 65 list of Carcinogens and Reproductive Toxicants, requiring products sold over the limits to be accompanied by a warning. Any consumer living in California who tests and finds products with specific phthalate amounts outside the limits may bring a Prop. 65 lawsuit six months after serving the company with a public notification letter.
However, be advised these limits are not enforceable. California’s “right to know” law is only about warning the consumer about the carcinogenic chemicals present. Therefore, California cannot force companies to recall products that are above these limits. Here are the phthalate-criteria:
| BBP — Maximum allowable dose levels (MADL) 1,200 μg/day (oral) | DBP — MADL 8.7 μg/day |
| DIDP — MADL 2,200 μg/day | DnHP — MADL 2,200 μg/day |
| DEHP — No significant risk level (NSRL) 310 μg/day (adult), MADL 4,200 μg/day (intravenous adult), MADL 600 μg/day (intravenous infant), MADL 410 μg/day (oral for adult), MADL 58 μg/day (oral for infant) | DINP — NSRL 146 μg/day |
With respect to ghee, it could be possible that the vast majority of phthalates are finding their way into the product during manufacturing, storage, or transportation. Under the Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR rules, FDA regulates food, drugs, cosmetics, and food contact materials within the United States.
The FDA sanctioned the use of 25 plasticizers via an amendment to food additive regulations: 21 CFR Part 175 through 21 CFR Part 178. These regulations allow the use of phthalates in the food supply as “indirect food additives” that can be present. These chemicals can find their way into your food in many ways during manufacturing such as:
According to previous studies done on phthalates in dairy products, possible sources of contamination specific to dairy products are (1) the mechanical milking process, tubing, and cooling tanks, and (2) the intake of animal feed that is also contaminated. Raw milk was typically lower in phthalate content because it was less manufactured.
Pasteurization may increase the amount of phthalates present in milk because of exposure to additional heat and manufacturing contaminants. However, creams had more phthalates present than milk with lower fat content. This is likely because phthalates are drawn to fat more so than proteins, and thus removing fat would remove the phthalates present.
Before we launch into the raw data from our lab, we wanted to remind you about all the other studies we have done on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals,” pesticides, and heavy metals inside the food and consumer products you may bring inside your home. Each one of these studies were done in a similar fashion as this study with brands sent independently to the certified lab and raw data of those labs at the bottom of the post.
| Nut butters (peanut butter, etc.) | ||
| Activewear (yoga pants) | ||
| Sandwich baggies (both plastic and more “sustainable” options) | ||
For this study, ghees were purchased between August 2023 and August 2024. Each product was recorded in our database and sent directly to the lab within its original packaging. Unfortunately, 100% of ghees tested had at least trace amounts of ortho-phthalates, a class of hormone-disrupting chemicals.
Mamavation’s EPA-certified lab tested for the following phthalates. This is not a complete list of all the phthalates that are allowed to be present as an indirect food additive according to the FDA, however, this list goes above and beyond what is already restricted by the European Union or the State of California and mirrors what was tested in 2023 by Defend Our Health.
| Diethyl phthalate (DEP) | Di-n-propyl phthalate (DPP) |
| Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) | Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) |
| Dihexyl phthalate (DnHP) | Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) |
| Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) | Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) |
| Di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) | Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) |
| Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) | Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) |
| Bis(2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DPHP) | Didecyl phthalate (DDP) |
After reviewing our investigation, Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-author of Our Stolen Future had this to say: “With phthalates present in all ghees tested, even at varying amounts, the multiple companies selling ghee should work collectively together to determine the source of the contamination and how it can be eliminated.”
• Not our favorite ghees with the most phthalate contamination — This category represents products sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and found to have over 600 ppb total sum of phthalates. This would represent the group with the most contamination.
• Better ghees with intermediate phthalate contamination — This category represents products sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and found to have between 200 and 600 ppb total sum of phthalates. This would represent the group with an intermediate amount of contamination.
• Best ghees with the least amount of phthalate contamination — This category represents products sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and found to have less than 200 ppb total sum of phthalates. This would represent the group with the least amount of contamination.
Leah Segedie is the President and Founder of Mamavation.com. Mamavation produces award-winning content and independent consumer studies examining the intersection of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and everyday products brought into American households. She’s been referred to by many as “the real FDA.”
Since 2008, Mamavation has been helping everyday moms navigate the grocery store by commissioning consumer studies on food, beverages, personal care products and other such products and thus democratizing science and testing for everyone.
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