|
 That’s because the study found one-third of fast food packaging
contains chemicals known as PFASs (for polyfluoroalkyl and
perfluoroalkyl substances) that give it stain-resistant,
water-repellant and nonstick properties. The trouble is these
fluorinated chemicals have also been linked to an increased risk of
certain cancers, hormone problems, high cholesterol, obesity and
immune suppression in human and animal studies.
“Our study is the most comprehensive assessment of how common
fluorinated chemicals are in fast food wrappers in the U.S., and
which types of wrappers are most likely to contain them,” said lead
study author Laurel Schaider of the Silent Spring Institute in
Newton, Massachusetts.
“We found that nearly half of paper wrappers, for instance wrappers
for sandwiches and burgers and flat bags for cookies and pastries,
contained fluorinated chemicals, and that around 20 percent of
paperboard packaging, for instance boxes for French fries and fried
foods, contained fluorinated chemicals,” Schaider added by email.
PFASs aren’t found naturally in the environment. These man-made
chemicals have been used for decades in products ranging from food
wrappers to clothing, nonstick cookware and fire-fighting foams.
People may be exposed to PFASs from direct contact with these
products, through the air they breathe, the food they eat and the
water they drink.
For the study, Schaider and colleagues tested for PFASs in more than
400 samples of paper wrappers, paperboard and drink containers from
27 fast food chains across the U.S.
More than half of the tests were done on food contact paper,
including 138 wrappers for sandwiches or burgers, 68 wrappers for
dessert or bread and 42 wrappers for Tex-Mex foods.
Overall, 46 percent of paper wrappers tested positive for PFASs.
This included 38 percent of sandwich and burger wrappers, 56 percent
of bread or dessert wrappers and 57 percent of wrappers for Tex-Mex
food, researchers report in Environmental Science and Technology
Letters.
Tests of 30 samples from paper cups didn’t turn up any of these
chemicals. But in tests of 25 other beverage containers, 16 percent
did have PFASs.
Researchers also did more extensive testing on a subset of 20
samples to see what types of PFASs were in the food packaging. Six
of these samples contained a type of PFASs called PFOA (perfluorooctanoic
acid, or C8) that many U.S. manufacturers voluntarily stopped using
in 2011 due to concerns about the potential health risks.
One limitation of the study is that researchers were unable to
assess how often people came into contact with these chemicals in
food packaging, the authors note.
[to top of second column] |
Still, the results show that even chemicals being phased out due to
health concerns are still widely used, said Dr. Leonardo Trasande,
an environmental medicine researcher at New York University School
of Medicine who wasn’t involved in the study.
“This study reinforces the reality that these chemicals are highly
persistent in the environment, and may find their ways into people’s
bodies for years after they are no longer intentionally added,”
Trasande said by email.
“This study adds to concerns about chemicals that contaminate highly
processed or packaged foods, potentially magnifying health effects
above and beyond the effects that may result from their high-fat or
high-sugar content,” Trasande added.
Avoiding fast food is one way to limit exposure.
Serving food in wax paper instead of grease-resistant wrappers
typically used in food packaging might also reduce contact with the
chemicals, Trasande said.
Diners can also limit exposure by avoiding oily food,
high-temperature food and taking food out of wrappers right away so
it has less contact time with any chemicals, said Xindi Hu, an
environmental health researcher at Harvard T.H. Chan School of
Public Health in Boston who wasn’t involved in the study.
Whenever possible, customers should avoid disposable packaging, Hu
added by email.
“If they are dining in, then it is not necessary to use paper
plates,” Hu said. “Some restaurants do not provide regular dishes
for logistical reasons, but from the perspective of reducing
exposure to chemicals in food packaging, it is actually encouraged
that restaurants use more regular dishes.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2jw5p4s Environmental Science and Technology
Letters, online February 1, 2017.
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
