Report Reveals Fast Food Wrappers Contain Chemicals Linked to Cancer
As if fast food isn't bad enough for your health.
According to a new report in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, packaging used by fast food restaurants contain chemicals that can be harmful to consumers.
According to CNN, "The report found fluorinated chemicals in one-third of the fast food packaging researchers tested." The chemicals in question move from the paper to the food and are used to repel grease, which is a common element in fast food. Those chemicals also appear in various water-repellant, stain-resistant, and non-stick products.
The research paints a grim picture about the effects on the human body:
The most studied of these substances (PFOSs and PFOAs) has been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, decreased fertility, thyroid problems and changes in hormone functioning, as well as adverse developmental effects and decreased immune response in children."
It may sound scary, but it's important to note that since the chemicals are in so many items people are already exposed to them and the adverse affects may not necessarily come to fruition.
So, tell us: does knowing the chemicals are present mean you will eat less fast food? Will it change where you eat at all?