What’s in hamburgers at fast food restaurants? Many times, toxic compounds. This is the conclusion of a new study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology that has discovered small amounts of industrial chemicals called phthalates, which are used to soften plastics (such as rubber gloves, vinyl floors or plastic containers), in food samples from popular outlets such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Domino’s Pizza, or Burger King. They make plastic flexible, which is why they are so ubiquitous in our society.
This study is the first to examine food itself
Researchers from George Washington University (USA) bought and analyzed 64 fast food items from different American fast food chains, finding harmful chemicals in most of the samples collected : in more than 80%.
So it is no longer just the cholesterol or calories that these foods provide: pizza, burritos or hamburgers, are riddled with toxic chemicals (phthalates) related to health problems, including disruption of the endocrine system and fertility problems and reproductive factors, as well as an increased risk of learning, attention and behavior disorders in children.
Humans are exposed to phthalates by ingesting foods and beverages that have been in contact with products containing phthalates or by breathing airborne phthalate particles directly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Phthalate DBP was present in 81% of the articles, while 70% contained DEHP. (Both are related to fertility problems). Foods with meat were the worst: Chicken burritos and cheeseburgers generally had the highest concentrations of these chemicals, while pizza with cheese and French fries had the lowest levels. Additionally, nearly 90% of the foods contained another plasticizer (DEHT) that was invented to replace phthalates, although research has not yet established whether DEHT is safer. So the full health impact of these alternative plasticizers is not yet known, the researchers say.
Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates food safety, does not have legal thresholds that limit the concentrations of phthalates in foods. Looks like it’s time for a safety reassessment.
In fact, the FDA said in a statement that it will review the study published by George Washington University and consider it as part of the body of scientific evidence.
“When new information raises safety concerns, the FDA may revoke approvals for food additives, if the FDA can no longer conclude that there is a reasonable certainty that the authorized use is not harmful to health,” the agency admits.
Referencia: Edwards, L., McCray, N.L., VanNoy, B.N. et al. Phthalate and novel plasticizer concentrations in food items from U.S. fast food chains: a preliminary analysis. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-021-00392-8
