Portland group key to convincing General Mills to drop chemical from mac-and-cheese processing Annie's Homegrown will eliminate ortho-phthalates, which make plastics more flexible but may also pose health risks, from its production equipment. Share A Portland-based advocacy group was instrumental in getting the owners of a popular macaroni-and-cheese brand to work toward eliminating a potentially harmful chemical from its packaging process. 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.