Are there toxins in your fast food packaging?
Is the sugar and fat in fast food the least concerning about what many Americans are eating on almost a daily basis? According to Silent Spring Institute and lead researcher Laurel Schaider, that just may be the case. The study tested more than 400 samples from restaurants across the United States and found that “nearly half of fast-food wrappers and one out of five paperboard food boxes contained detectable levels of fluorine…” Fluorinated chemicals (fluorine) such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been linked to “kidney and testicular cancer, low birth weight, thyroid disease, decreased sperm quality, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, and immune system problems in children…” While the use of chemicals PFOA and PFOS has been halted by most manufacturers in America, many foreign companies still utilize them. Matters are made worse by the fact that it’s hard to know if these dangerous chemicals are being used in the products you’re purchasing, as you can’t simply look at wax paper and know if they were used. When “approximately one-third of U.S. children consume fast food every day”, it’s imperative that we fight for our rights as consumers and as parents. Experts believe it is unlikely these chemicals will be outlawed anytime soon, and feel the best course is “public pressure as a means for future change.”
To learn more about the potentially toxic chemicals being served with your fast food, click the link: http://cbsn.ws/2kWaE9N