A new survey by researchers at George Washington University (GWU) reveals that most U.S. Fast Food products (and by association, those in other Western markets) contain industrial chemicals that can cause a long list of serious health problems by disrupting the endocrine system…
McDonald’s and Burger King were among the Fast Food chains whose
packaging was found to contain dangerous chemicals…
What they did
The modus operandi for the survey was simple: Researchers bought 64 Fast Food menu items from different restaurants and asked for three pairs of unused food-handling gloves, which were subsequently tested for 11 types of chemicals including phthalates and other plasticisers used in food processing systems and packaging.
A previous GWU study found that folks who ate more Fast Foods had elevated levels of phthalates in their systems.
What they found
“We found phthalates and other plasticizers are widespread in prepared foods available at U.S. fast food chains, a finding that means many consumers are getting a side of potentially unhealthy chemicals along with their meal,” Lariah Edwards, lead author of the study, says.
According to an abstract of the survey report:
- 81 percent of the food samples studied contained a phthalate called DnBP and 70 percent contained DEHP, a replacement plasticiser that has not yet been studied in depth to determine its impact on human health. Both of these chemicals have been linked in numerous studies to fertility and reproductive problems in humans. These phthalates can also increase risk for learning, attention, and behavioral disorders in childhood.
- 86 percent of the foods contained DEHT.
- Foods containing meats, such as cheeseburgers and chicken burritos, had higher levels of the chemicals studied.
- Chicken burritos and cheeseburgers had the highest levels of DEHT. The researchers noted that food handling gloves collected from the same restaurants also contained this chemical.
The takeaway
Some sources of plastics include food handling gloves, industrial tubing, food conveyor belts and the outer packaging used to wrap Fast Food meals. Previous research suggests that people who eat food cooked at home have lower levels of these chemicals in their bodies, probably because home cooks do not use food handling gloves or plastic packaging.
Previous surveys show that certain racial/minority groups may be disproportionately affected by these chemicals.
“Disadvantaged neighborhoods often have plenty of fast food outlets, but limited access to healthier foods like fruits and vegetables,” team member Dr. Ami Zota says. “Additional research needs to be done to find out whether people living in such food deserts are at higher risk of exposure to these harmful chemicals.”
“Stronger regulations are needed to help keep these harmful chemicals out of the food supply,” Edwards insists.
My take
If the Edwards-Zota survey results are accurate (and I have no reason to think they aren’t), I worry for the generations of high school kids who have habitually eaten lunch at Fast Food restos close to their schools. Perhaps some enterprising researcher will put together a team and see 9if there’s any connection between reduced cognitive skills or fertility among folks who ate excessive amounts of Fast Food when they were young – or are still eating Fast Food multiple times a week as adults.
I was curious to note that replacement plasticisers, like DEHT, have not been thoroughly tested to determine their potential harmful effects on humans.
That aside… I can’t help wondering if wearing plastic gloves for many hours every shift, 5 or 6 shifts a week doesn’t result in a critical amount of phthalates leeching into their bodies through their skin. There’s another question that deserves further study.
It’s my understanding that folks who eat limited amounts of Fast Foods are not at significant risk of harmful effects due to phthalates. But the study under review here doesn’t make any comments on that. Maybe somebody should undertake a study of that dimension of the phthalate issue.
And lest we forget – phthalates are also widely used in the greater packaged and processed food industry. Makes you want to take a second look at what you’re eating, and question whether the convenience of processed and packaged foods is worth the potential health consequences.
~ Maggie J.