Kraft Foods and Asbestos

Kraft Foods never manufactured products that contained asbestos, but the company made extensive use of the toxic material in its factories to insulate high-heat operations and in other applications. When the asbestos-containing materials became worn or damaged, they released deadly carcinogenic fibers into the air, exposing workers to the risk of mesothelioma and other serious illnesses. Many of these employees’ family members were also sickened through secondary exposure from asbestos carried home on workers’ clothing.

The History of Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods had its start in 1903, when James L. Kraft started a wholesale cheese delivery business in Chicago. The business grew rapidly from these humble beginnings, and by 1906, James and his brother Charles had begun processing cheese for distribution to area retailers. The company was incorporated as J.L. Kraft Bros. & Company in 1909, and through the years, expanded through strategic acquisitions and mergers.[1]

The brothers patented a spoil-resistant processed cheese, which was sold in large quantities to the U.S. Army during World War I. Key acquisitions in the following decades included Velveeta in 1927 and a merger with the Phenix Cheese Company in 1928, makers of Philadelphia cream cheese.

During the Great Depression, Kraft introduced what would become one of its most iconic products: Kraft Dinner, later rebranded as Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. The company continued to grow through the 20th century, eventually becoming part of larger corporate entities through various mergers and acquisitions, including with Philip Morris Companies in 1988 and ultimately forming Kraft Heinz in 2015.[2]

Throughout this expansion, Kraft operated numerous manufacturing facilities across the United States, including plants that processed coffee, manufactured food products, and packaged goods. These industrial operations required significant heat for various manufacturing processes, making asbestos insulation an attractive option for the company’s safety and operational needs.

How Kraft Foods Used Asbestos

As a food producer, Kraft Foods did not manufacture or distribute any asbestos-containing products, but the company had dozens of manufacturing plants and facilities that made extensive use of asbestos-containing materials manufactured by other companies. The mineral’s exceptional durability, heat resistance, and fireproofing qualities made it ideal for protecting against the high temperatures required in food manufacturing and processing operations. As a result, asbestos materials were found throughout Kraft’s plants in various applications:

Building Materials:

• Asbestos insulation within walls and ductwork
• Roofing materials containing asbestos
• Wallboard with asbestos content

Industrial Equipment:

• Boiler insulation containing asbestos
• Oven insulation for high-temperature cooking operations
• Electrical equipment with asbestos components
• Pipes wrapped with asbestos insulation

Operational Components:

• Gaskets made with asbestos materials
• Packing materials in pumps containing asbestos
• Brakes on assembly lines with asbestos components

The widespread use of asbestos in Kraft’s facilities was driven by the food industry’s need for materials that could withstand extreme heat while providing fire protection and insulation for workers and equipment.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that investigated a Maxwell House Coffee Company facility in Houston, Texas, documented how asbestos had been used as roofing fill and insulation. The report noted that there were 550 workers employed at the facility, seven days a week, and that though the asbestos insulation had been used in Kraft facilities as late as 1992, abatement crews had removed all contaminated material from the Houston facility in 1991 in a process that had taken four to five years.[3]

Who Was Exposed to Asbestos at Kraft Foods?

Workers at Kraft facilities around the country and the world faced significant occupational asbestos exposure through their daily activities and job responsibilities The risk extended beyond those who directly handled asbestos materials, as particles released into the air as a result of asbestos-containing materials deteriorating over time or having been manipulated and damaged as a result of routine maintenance or repairs circulated to everybody in the environment. 

Kraft Foods Employees at Risk

• Maintenance workers who regularly worked with asbestos-containing gaskets and pipe insulation used to maintain production line equipment
• Boiler repairmen who serviced heating systems lined with asbestos insulation
• Factory workers operating in facilities where asbestos materials were present in walls, ductwork, and equipment.
• Construction workers and carpenters involved in building maintenance and renovations.
• Electricians and electrical engineers working with electrical equipment containing asbestos components
• HVAC workers who maintained heating and ventilation systems
• Machine operators and machinists working with equipment that contained asbestos components
• Insulators who installed and maintained asbestos insulation materials
• Warehouse workers who may have encountered asbestos in building materials and stored products

Activities That Released Asbestos Fibers

Kraft Food employees were exposed to asbestos when invisible particles of the fibrous material became airborne during routine maintenance and operations. Common exposure scenarios included:

• Cutting into insulation or other asbestos-containing materials during repairs
• Removing worn gaskets and packing materials from pumps and machinery
• Maintaining or repairing boilers and ovens with asbestos insulation
• Working in areas where asbestos-containing building materials had deteriorated
• Handling protective equipment and clothing that contained asbestos

Secondary Asbestos Exposure:

Family members of Kraft workers also faced health risks through secondary exposure. When plant employees returned home from work each day, they often were unknowingly carrying asbestos fibers home on their clothing, shoes, skin, and hair. This material then contaminated family vehicles, and furniture and carpeting within their homes, and had the effect of exposing spouses, children, and other household members to the dangerous mineral. This type of take-home exposure has been particularly devastating for spouses who laundered contaminated work clothes, and even for children who sat on their fathers’ laps or hugged them when they returned home from work each day.

Health Consequences of Asbestos Exposure

People who were exposed to asbestos at Kraft facilities were put at risk of developing serious health conditions, and many of these illnesses don’t begin to show symptoms until decades after exposure. The latency period for asbestos-related diseases can range from 20 to 50 years, meaning workers and their family members who were exposed in the mid-20th century may only now be experiencing symptoms.

Asbestos-Related Diseases Include:

• Pleural Mesothelioma: A rare, aggressive cancer affecting the organ that lines the cavity that holds the lungs.
• Peritoneal Mesothelioma: A rare, aggressive cancer affecting the organ that lines the cavity that holds the abdominal organs.
• Pericardial Mesothelioma: One of the rarest forms of mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma affects the lining of the cavity that holds the heart.
• Lung Cancer: Malignant tumors that develop in the lungs, often decades after exposure. The risk of both asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma is heightened in those who were both exposed to asbestos and who smoked cigarettes.
• Asbestosis: A chronic disease in which progressive scarring of the lung tissue causes breathing difficulties and respiratory problems
• Pleural Plaques: Thickened areas of the lung lining that can indicate asbestos exposure
• Other Cancers: Including colon, throat, and gastrointestinal cancers linked to asbestos exposure

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits Filed Against Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods has faced numerous legal challenges from both workers and their family members who have developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses after exposure at company facilities. These lawsuits have resulted in substantial compensation awards and settlements for victims.

Notable Legal Cases:

• A South Carolina state court jury awarded a total of $32 million to Kathy Lynn Weist and her husband after she died of malignant mesothelioma at the age of 62. Mr. Weist had worked at a Louis Rich Co. facility owned by Kraft Heinz in South Carolina in the 1980s, and her father and uncle had worked in other plants contaminated with asbestos. The jury agreed that Mrs. Weist’s fatal illness was a result of secondary exposure to asbestos fibers carried into her home on her family members’ clothing. In addition to $11 million assessed against another defendant, the jury found Kraft Heinz responsible for $11 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages, as well as an additional $1 million for Mr. Weist’s loss of consortium.[4]

• Hildegard Linehan filed a personal injury lawsuit against Kraft Foods after her husband, Elmer, died of asbestos-related lung cancer. In her filing against the company, she claimed that her late husband, a pipefitter who worked for the company’s Nabisco subsidiary, had been exposed to asbestos-containing materials that were negligently supplied to him by Nabisco, without proper warnings to wear respirators or other safety precautions when handling such products. The lawsuit claimed that the company had “actual, subjective awareness of the severe health risks associated with exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing products, but nevertheless proceeded with conscious indifference to the rights, safety, and welfare of Mr. Linehan, who predictably developed and died from asbestos-related lung cancer.”[5]

Kraft has been involved in numerous other asbestos-related lawsuits, including a whistleblower retaliation case filed by David Sherman, who accused the company of having fired him in retaliation for reporting asbestos hazards in Kraft Foods’ workplace. Sherman had reportedly discovered white dusty material in his work area at Kraft’s Champaign, Illinois, facility and reported it to his safety representative, but was told that Kraft would not want any asbestos-related hazards reported. 

Despite this, Sherman collected a sample of deteriorating insulation that tested positive for asbestos and put it in his toolbox with the intention of turning it into the company, and if need be, directly to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The following day, his toolbox was confiscated. Though the material was tested and determined to contain asbestos, Sherman was terminated days later.  Though Kraft’s motion to dismiss his wrongful termination filing was granted, an appeals court reversed that decision, ruling that Mr. Sherman’s termination violated public policy.[6]

Have You Been Diagnosed with Mesothelioma After Exposure to Asbestos from a Kraft Foods Site? 

If you worked at a Kraft Foods facility and either you or one of your family members has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may be eligible to take action against the company.  Victims of asbestos exposure have several legal options available to them, including:

Filing Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Lawsuits

Victims of asbestos exposure may be eligible to file lawsuits against Kraft and other responsible parties to recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses.

Workers’ Compensation Claims 

Former Kraft employees may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits for occupational asbestos exposure leading to diagnosis with an asbestos-related injury.

Third-Party Claims

If you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease after having been exposed to asbestos at a Kraft Foods facility, you may be eligible to file a claim against the companies that supplied asbestos-containing products to the site where you worked. This may include manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and other materials.

What to Do if You Were Exposed:

If you worked at a Kraft facility and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness, or if you are a family member whose secondary exposure to asbestos from the site has led to a diagnosis, your priority is to establish and begin a treatment plan. After this has been put in place, there are several important steps you need to take as soon as possible:

• Consult with an experienced mesothelioma attorney. These lawyers specialize in asbestos claims and have extensive resources that will make a real difference in the success of your legal journey. 
• Gather documentation of your work history and any potential exposure to asbestos throughout your life.
• Collect all medical records about your diagnosis.
• Act quickly, as each state has its own statute of limitations that limits the amount of time you have between getting a confirmed diagnosis and taking legal action.

Asbestos litigation is complex, and the companies that exposed you to asbestos have powerful attorneys working on their behalf. To make sure that your rights are protected and you receive the maximum compensation for the harms you’ve suffered, it’s important to work with an experienced asbestos lawyer who has the tools and knowledge for this specific type of legal claim.