Legislature missed a chance to regulate toxic phthalates

With the 2026 Minnesota legislative session officially in the rearview mirror, one major miss of the final hours was a bill aimed at regulating toxic phthalates. While lawmakers failed to act, the biological clock for many families continues to tick. There is an urgent need to address how daily chemical exposures impact reproductive and family health right now. 

Infertility is an increasing global health issue. Today, one in six people worldwide are impacted by the inability to conceive, according to the World Health Organization. In Minnesota, more individuals and families are navigating fertility challenges. While we often point to age, stress or lifestyle factors, a more subtle culprit is hiding in plain sight: a class of ubiquitous chemicals called phthalates. 

As noted by the Harvard School of Public Health, phthalates are produced in massive volumes to make plastics flexible, such as in shower curtains and children’s toys, and to stabilize scents in personal care products like soaps, lotions and cosmetics. They also enter the food system through packaging and processing. Inside the body, these compounds can interfere with the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Gonadal (HPG) axis, a central hormonal system that regulates ovulation and reproductive function. By mimicking estrogen or disrupting normal signaling, they can alter menstrual cycles and ovarian function. 

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This issue is gaining urgency as states, including Minnesota, consider stronger policies on toxic chemicals in consumer products. While much of the legislative focus has been on substances like PFAS, growing evidence suggests endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates deserve similar scrutiny, especially given their potential link to reproductive health outcomes. 

Despite growing scientific concern, the burden of safety has largely been placed on consumers. People are told to “read the labels,” yet transparency and consistency in chemical testing and disclosure remain limited. One major loophole is the so-called “fragrance loophole,” which allows manufacturers to group dozens of undisclosed chemicals, including phthalates, under the single term “fragrance” to protect trade secrets. Even products labeled “unscented” can contain masking agents, making the idea of a fully informed consumer difficult to achieve in practice. 

For the average Minnesotan, exposure can happen throughout the day, through the products used in the morning, the packaging around food and even the air inside homes. Avoidance is not as simple as choosing “cleaner” products, especially when labeling does not fully reflect what is inside. While there may not be completely safe plasticizers, safer bio-based alternatives or materials like glass and stainless steel already exist, but widespread adoption has lagged behind the science. 

The solution is not simply more “clean beauty” advice or expecting individuals to overhaul their lifestyles; infertility and hormonal disruption reflect broader environmental and regulatory gaps. The same hormonal systems that regulate reproduction also influence metabolism, immune function and long-term disease risk, meaning that disruption in these pathways can signal wider health concerns.

In Minnesota and across the country, addressing this issue will require shifting the focus from individual responsibility to systemic change, including stronger regulation such as a bill introduced this past legislative session, SF 5114, which would have required testing of packaged foods for phthalates and public reporting of results, alongside broader transparency measures and science-based policy updates. 

More comprehensive action could also include expanding regulation to household products such as cleaners, plastics and vinyl materials; closing loopholes that allow chemicals to be hidden under “fragrance” or proprietary blends; setting maximum allowable levels of phthalates in food contact materials; requiring reformulation when those limits are exceeded; and ensuring safer alternatives are required and rigorously evaluated. 

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At its core, this isn’t just a debate over chemical standards, it is about protecting the fundamental right of Minnesota families to build a healthy future without toxic interference. With the financial and emotional toll of infertility overwhelming for many families, it is imperative that we continue to share stories, educate ourselves and our communities, and keep this issue on the radar of our lawmakers for when the next legislative session begins. 

Danielle Thornton, MPH, is a public health professional and a Climate and Health Equity Leaders Fellow with Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate.

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