Washington, DC - According to a similar study published today, chicken nuggets, burritos and other popular foods purchased by consumers from American fast food restaurants contain chemicals related to a range of serious health problems.

Researchers at George Washington University (GW) and their colleagues bought fast food from popular stores and found 10 of 11 potentially harmful chemicals in their samples, including phthalates, which is a group Chemicals used to soften plastics and are known to destroy plastics. Endocrine System. The research team also discovered other plasticizers, which are becoming alternatives to phthalates.

"We found that phthalates and other plasticizers are widely present in prepared foods of fast-food chains in the United States. This finding means that many consumers will be exposed to potentially unhealthy chemicals during meals," the main part of the study Author Lariah Edwards (Lariah Edwards) said. GW's postdoctoral scientist said. "Stricter regulations are needed to help keep these harmful chemicals out of the food supply."

Previously, the GW research team led by environmental and occupational health professor Ami Zota looked at fast food consumption in a national survey and found that people who reported eating more fast food had higher levels of phthalates. No one has studied the link between fast food and non-phthalate plasticizers, which are used to replace banned or restricted phthalates in food packaging and processing equipment.

In this study, Edwards, Zota and their colleagues purchased 64 types of fast food from different restaurants and asked for three pairs of unused food handling gloves. The team tested the content of 11 phthalates and plasticizers in food and gloves and found:

Phthalates and alternative plasticizers are chemicals used to soften plastics, which can migrate from the plastic into the food that is ingested. Some sources of plastic include food handling gloves, industrial pipes, food conveyor belts, and outer packaging used to pack fast food in restaurants.

Previous research by the Zota team has shown that people who eat food cooked at home have lower levels of these chemicals. This may be because home cooks do not use food handling gloves or plastic packaging. Edwards said that in order to avoid the use of these industrial chemicals, consumers can switch to home-cooked meals, which are usually healthier than fast food.

Both Edwards and Zota stated that their research indicated the need for stricter review and supervision of chemicals used in food manufacturing. They pointed out that alternative plasticizers are increasingly being used to replace banned or restricted phthalates, but the research needed to prove their safety has not been completed.

The study also raised concerns that certain ethnic/minority groups may be disproportionately affected by these chemicals.

“Vulnerable communities usually have many fast-food restaurants, but access to healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables is limited,” Zota said. "Additional research is needed to determine whether people living in this food desert are more likely to be exposed to these harmful chemicals."

-This press release was originally published on the George Washington University website

Tags: Fast Food Catering Industry News Product Resources: Industry News

© 2021 Laboratory Manager. all rights reserved.