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Taco Bell to remove toxins from packaging, but not until 2025

Taco Bell is going healthy! Well, they’re not doing something crazy like getting rid of the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, but they are banning the use of “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, and BPA from “consumer-facing packaging.” Unfortunately, much to the chagrin of consumer advocates, the ban isn’t set to be in place until the year 2025.

This decision comes not long after the release of Mind the Store’s 2019 Retailer Report Card. Companies are judged and awarded points in more than a dozen categories. Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, earned an F grade from Mind the Store. For 2019, Yum! Brands received a grad total of 0 (zero) points. In addition to removing toxic chemicals such as PFAS, phthalates, and BPA; Taco Bell is also aiming to make all consumer-facing packaging recyclable, compostable, or reusable.

Yum! Brands aren't the only ones trying to keep toxins out of our food packaging, two states (Washington, Maine) have joined the fight against PFAS, phthalates, and BPA. Despite their commitment to limit our exposure to toxins, consumer advocacy groups are pushing for them to speed up their timeline and to end the use of vinyl food handling gloves. Taco Bell and Yum! Brands have made a big commitment, it will be interesting to see if they follow through.

To read the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families post in its entirety, follow this link: https://bit.ly/35M9yVh

To read Mind the Store’s Report Card for Yum! Brands, click here: https://bit.ly/2RdK11Z