Fast-food packaging contains life-threatening PFAS
When you put a frozen pizza in the oven or slide a Subway sandwich into your mouth, at most you worry about the nutritional value of the fast food you’re eating. But did you know that fast-food packaging sometimes contains carcinogenic substances? A new law is – fortunately – putting an end to that.
The grease-repellent coating on the inside of cupcake liners or a cardboard baking mold, the plastic layer on the inside of a frozen-pizza box or the bag of microwave popcorn: they all contain PFAS. These synthetic chemicals are harmful to the immune system and, in larger quantities, can even disrupt hormones and cause cancer. They’re also remarkably bad for the environment: PFAS does not break down and therefore ends up in the environment and our food via a detour.
Fast food
Website Eat This, Not That investigated which fast-food packages contained PFAS. Don’t panic: almost every chain was generously handing out these toxins. Taco Bell’s chip bag, McDonald’s fries container and the greaseproof paper they use to wrap sandwiches at Chick-fil-A all contain this substance.
Banned
PFAS is not an American problem; there are also major concerns about these substances in Europe. Denmark announced a ban on PFAS in food packaging last year. The Netherlands is following suit: from March 1 of this year, PFAS may no longer be present in food packaging.
Non-stick pan
Incidentally, the ban on PFAS in food packaging does not mean we’re rid of PFAS. Apparently, the substance is also found in products such as waterproof mascara, rain suits and non-stick pans. Europe is now working on a total ban on PFAS, an initiative by the Netherlands together with Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden. According to the industry, this is difficult because they cannot really think of a replacement for it. But it is necessary, because it has now been demonstrated that PFAS is seriously harmful.
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Source: NVGP.nl, Eat This, Not That
