by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola:
Story at-a-glance
- Mamavation tested 81 pieces of fast food packaging for PFAS chemicals, finding 35% contained detectable levels. Some brands exceeded California’s 100 ppm limit even after the state’s January 2023 ban
- PFAS chemicals in food packaging pose health risks including reduced immunity, hormonal disruption, and increased cancer risk. They can persist in the body for years or decades
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
- Several restaurant chains have committed to phasing out PFAS in packaging, but Mamavation’s testing shows mixed results in actually implementing these changes, especially outside of California
- The safest packaging options came from 18 retailers with non-detectable PFAS levels, including Chipotle, In-N-Out Burger, and Taco Bell. However, this doesn’t necessarily indicate the food itself is healthy
- To reduce PFAS exposure, cook at home more, filter your water, avoid certain cookware and clothing, and choose safer personal care products and household items
Does the food packaging from your favorite fast food or fast casual restaurant contain toxic PFAS “forever chemicals?” These chemicals can make your meal more toxic and may take decades to break down in your body. This was exactly the worry Mamavation community members had when they asked us about which restaurants had the safest food packaging.
Fast food happens and we want to help you navigate that. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like safest cookware sans PFAS “forever chemicals,” safest yoga pants sans PFAS in the crotch, and safest water filters to remove PFAS, now join us for another consumer study on the safest food packaging by the restaurant.
Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News and BoldTV.
Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry and Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, (2) Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program and Scholar at Residence at Duke University, North Carolina University, and Yale University, (3) Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and co-author of Our Stolen Future, and (4) Scott Belcher, Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University.
This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware.
This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Click “yes” when asked if the gift is in honor of someone and type “Mamavation.” Thank you!
Mamavation Finds PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Fast Food and Casual Packaging Across California
Mamavation sent 81 pieces of fast food and fast casual food packaging off to an EPA-certified lab to test for indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have been used for many decades as stain-resistant, oil-resistant, grease-resistant, and water-resistant chemicals in commerce.
PFAS is found in many areas of our homes with some examples being cookware, makeup, drinking water, contact lenses and dental floss. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects, which we will discuss later.
Because PFAS are so toxic, Mamavation has commissioned our own scientific studies on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” to make recommendations on fast food and fast casual restaurants with safer packaging.
These tests were also done during a very special time when a new California food packaging law came online — AB 1200. AB 1200 banned PFAS in food packaging starting January 1, 2023. Mamavation tested packaging before and after this to ensure compliance and report back to our community. Here’s what we found during our investigation:
•35% of the pieces of food packaging that were sent to our testing laboratory had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals,” whereas 65% of the packaging was non-detect. We tested a total of 81 pieces of fast food and fast casual packaging.
•Out of the 32 fast food and fast casual brands that were tested inside California, about 38% of them had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside their packaging, which was 12 brands.
•Ranges of organic fluorine reported by the laboratory ranged from 10 ppm to 469 ppm. Technically the law states that no “intentional” PFAS can be present, but it also calls out 100 ppm as the maximum allowed if unintentional.
•Although California passed AB 1200 into law banning “intentional” PFAS in food packaging, we are still seeing about 35% detections above 10 ppm, which is the detection level. Is this outside the law?
It’s unclear and therefore we are in support of new legislation from Assemblymember Ting’s office (AB 347) that would add much needed enforcement on this issue in the State of California. As concerned parents, we are calling upon legislators to pass and Governor Newsome to sign AB 347 into law. (Or something similar soon!)
Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program and Adjunct Professor at Duke University, University of North Carolina, and Yale University, said, “Fast food packaging is one of the main ways that consumers are continuously exposed to PFAS chemicals.
We support States that pass legislation to curtail these problems, but we worry that brands may have just moved their more toxic packaging to other states that allow it. So the next step here to protect consumers would be federal legislation banning PFAS in food packaging so that all states comply. This is essential to protect the public.”
