🥡🍜Are Takeout Food Containers And Wrappers Toxic?
Hi foodie friends,
We all love takeaway, it is convenient and delicious! But hold onto your chopsticks, folks, because we have an earth-shattering revelation that might just give you food for thought before you eagerly dive into that box of Chinese fried rice! 😬
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Today’s Debunk: Are Takeout Food Containers And Wrappers Toxic?🥡🍜
TL;DR Beneath the surface of our beloved takeout meals lies a troubling truth — the containers and wrappers are toxic. Food wrappers and paper containers contain alarming levels of dangerous chemicals known as PFAS.
Are Takeout Food Containers And Wrappers Toxic?
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, takeout has become the go-to choice for many individuals seeking a quick and hassle-free meal. It is undeniably convenient and you need not clean up or do the dishes afterwards. However, there's a price to pay for this convenience. Beneath the surface of our beloved takeout meals lies a troubling truth — the containers and wrappers are toxic.
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Food wrappers and paper containers
Food wrappers and paper containers contain alarming levels of dangerous chemicals known as PFAS. PFAS chemicals are used in food packaging because they create a protective barrier that blocks grease and water from seeping outside. Think of the burger wrappers used in McDonald’s and how you hold them without getting your hands oily.
However, The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expressed concerns about PFAS exposure and called it a “public health concern”. Studies have linked PFAS chemicals to a range of health problems, including cancer, immune system disorders, reproductive and developmental complications, and liver and kidney damage.
→See Food packaging is full of toxic chemicals – here's how it could affect your health, The Guardian
→See High levels of 'forever chemicals' found in paper takeout containers, University of Toronto
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Does this affect you?
US - In February 2024, the FDA announced that all grease-proofing agents containing PFAS are no longer being sold in the U.S. But companies have told the FDA that it might take 18 more months before food packaging that contains PFAS are completely out of the market.
EU - In March 2024, the European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement to ban the use of PFAS in food contact packaging. Now, we await Parliament and Council to formally approve the agreement before it can come into force.
UK - Following the UK Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) assessment of the use of PFAS, the authorities are still exploring options to ban and restrict PFAS.
Asia - Japan has banned certain types of PFAS chemicals and continues to assess the risks of other PFAS chemicals. On the other hand, Hong Kong and Singapore continue to monitor but have not yet implemented rules to ban PFAS chemicals.
→See PFAS chemicals to be phased out of food packaging. Here’s how to avoid them, The Washington Post
→See Deal on new rules for more sustainable packaging in the EU, European Parliament
→See Rationale for prioritising substances in the UK REACH work programme: 2023 to 2024, UK Gov
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Conclusion
To minimize exposure to harmful PFAS chemicals, try to avoid or reduce exposure to grease-resistant food containers and wrappers. Next time you grab McDonald’s, perhaps you can try bringing your own glass container to store the burger.
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