The packaging of hamburgers, fries and other desserts sold in fast food outlets contain fluorinated compounds, associated with cancer.
As if the nutritional recommendations did not make fast food consumers feel guilty enough. The products sold in major brands are already “too fatty, too salty, too sweet”.
But in addition, the packaging contains chemicals suspected of causing testicular and kidney cancer, fetal development problems and immune system damage in children.
This is the observation of researchers from the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, United States), who publish their results in the specialized journal Environmental Science & Technology. They analyzed more than 400 packages from 27 brands such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Chipotle or Starbucks. And the finding is severe. Fluorinated compounds, PFAs, are found in more than half of the papers surrounding desserts (brownies, muffins, cookies), in 38% of those in sandwiches and burgers, and in one in five boxes of fries.
Persistent in the body
A worrying finding, because these chemicals, in addition to being toxic, are very resistant. They only break down very slowly in the body, where they can stay for years.
“It is a red flag for these restaurant chains and for consumers,” said Graham Peaslee, professor of nuclear physics at Notre Dame University, who carried out the tests. These are persistent chemicals that enter the bloodstream and accumulate ”.
Difficult to replace
These compounds are used to enhance the impermeability to grease. The researchers, who asked the manufacturers for explanations of their presence in such large quantities, received only two responses. Obviously, it was a surprise. One of them even claimed to have received a guarantee from his suppliers that the packaging was devoid of it.
PFAs could be replaced by other products with equivalent properties. Some were also found in the packaging tested. But then again, there is no guarantee that they pose less of a health risk.
Prolonged contact required
But no panic. It takes a certain time of contact between the paper and the food for it to be contaminated. For burgers and fries, for example, the risk is therefore limited, as they do not stay in their packaging for a long time. On the other hand, desserts are sometimes prepackaged, and can stay in contact for a whole day, or even longer. One more reason to limit meals to fast food.
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