FAST FOOD FILLED WITH RISKY CHEMICALS!
AMERICA’s favorite fast foods may be making you sick!
Shocking studies suggest dangerous chemicals linked to serious health problems are lurking in popular items from cheeseburgers to chicken nuggets and burritos — and food wrappers! Researchers at George Washington University
(GWU) tested more than 60 fast food items and unused food handling gloves from different restaurants — and identified ten different chemicals known to disrupt the endocrine system!
“We found phthalates and other plasticizers are widespread in prepared foods at fast food outlets,” says Dr. Lariah Edwards. “Many consumers are getting a side of potentially unhealthy chemicals along with their meal.”
The GWU study found more than 80 percent of the food samples contained chemicals linked to fertility and reproductive problems and increased risks of childhood attention, learning and behavioral disorders.
Foods containing meats had higher levels of the chemicals, while cheese pizzas had the lowest. Previous research by a GWU team suggests people who eat home-cooked meals have lower levels of those chemicals, likely due to the absence of handling gloves and post-preparation packaging.
A recent Consumer Reports investigation of packaging products from 24 companies also found alarming levels of PFAS — so-called forever chemicals, which don’t break down in the environment — in commercial food wrappers and containers.
Exposure to humanmade PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) can harm the immune system and reduce resistance to infectious diseases.
PFAS are used in beverage cups, paper bags, fiber bowls and paper plates designed to be grease- and water-resistant.
Many companies have pledged to replace the suspect items, but the phaseout isn’t complete and newer PFAS in packaging products appear to be absorbed by food more readily, researchers warn. Experts advise taking food out of containers as soon as possible and never reheating it in the original packaging. Also, cut takeout meals to once a week — or less! “Stronger regulations are needed to keep these harmful chemicals out of the food supply,” says Edwards.