According to a report published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, the packaging our food comes in could be negatively impacting our health; the report found fluorinated chemicals in one-third of the fast food packaging tested.

Five institutions collaborated on the report and the scientists involved collected more than 400 samples of fast food packaging from 27 leading U.S. fast food chains.
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The packaging was split into six categories, with food contact papers being divided further into three subcategories: “food contact paper (sandwich wrappers and pastry bags), food contact paperboard (boxes for fries or pizza), non-contact paper (outer bags), paper cups, other beverage containers (milk and juice containers) and miscellaneous (lids).”
  • Food contact paper fared the worst: 46% of all samples tested positive for fluorine
  • Food contact paperboard was next: 20%, followed by other beverage containers at 16%
  • 100% of non-contact paper, paper cups, and miscellaneous all tested negative for fluorine.

Besides being used in the fast food industry, fluorinated chemicals (or PFASs) are used to make consumer products like furniture, carpet, clothing, cosmetics, and cookware water-repellent, stain-resistant, and non-stick properties. Um, gross.
Because these chemicals are used in loads of everyday products, people are exposed to them more than they should be. What’s the big deal, it’s just a wrapper? No, these chemicals can find their way from the packages into the food. And therefore, into us:
“These studies have found that the extent of migration depends on the temperature of the food, the type of food and how long the food is in contact with the paper. And it depends on which specific chemical is in the packaging.
The most studied of these substances (PFOSs and PFOAs) has been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, decreased fertility, thyroid problems and changes in hormone functioning, as well as adverse developmental effects and decreased immune response in children.”

What should you do?

The best and easiest thing you can do is to stop eating fast food. It’s full of all types of additives that are just not good for you. And, if you don’t eat it, you won’t have to worry about exposure.
So, what if that’s not an option? You can either take the food out of the package as soon as you get it or ask that your food be served in a paper cup or even on a paper napkin. I mean, do you even need that box telling you what you are about to eat?
But perhaps the most important thing we can do is use our voices and let fast food chains know this type of packaging is no longer acceptable, and we can prove that to them with our wallets.
Money talks. We know that.

 

Source: CNN