Beware! Researchers find chemicals in one-third of fast food packaging

According to a report published today in the journal of Environmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers found fluorinated chemicals in one-third of the fast

food packaging tested. These chemicals are favored for their grease-repellent properties. Along with their use in the fast food industry, fluorinated chemical sometimes called PFASs are used "to give water-repellant, stain-resistant, and non-stick properties to consumer products such as furniture, carpets, outdoor gear, clothing, cosmetics (and) cookware".

"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. Previous studies have shown that PFASs can migrate from food packaging into the food you eat.

Laurel Schaider, a research scientist at the Silent Spring Institute and one of the authors of the paper says:

'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".