Your favorite fast food could be associated with microplastics linked to cancer, infertility and autism.
Researchers analyzed more than 300 foods sold in restaurant chains and supermarkets across the United States for two microscopic toxins.
They found that of all the fast food outlets, the salad chain Sweetgreen and Starbucks had the lowest scores.
Sweetgreen’s Pesto Parmesan Chicken Salad and Starbucks’ Matcha Latte were found to contain the highest amount of phthalates, a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and transparent.
Shake Shack’s Cheeseburger scored third highest, while Burger King’s Cheese Whopper, In-n-Out’s ‘Animal Style’ Cheeseburger and Taco Bell’s Cantina Chicken Burrito also earned a bad classification.
Phthalates are commonly used in food packaging materials and have been called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down once they enter the body, where they cause untold damage.
Studies have shown that they mimic the body’s hormones and interfere with the production and response to natural hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.
For their report, researchers from the PlasticList group purchased nearly all of the samples directly from grocery stores and restaurants around the San Francisco Bay Area.
An alarming study has revealed the vast amount of toxic plastics hiding in a range of popular foods and drinks, with fertility problems and cancer among the negative health outcomes.
Several samples of each product were purchased to obtain the most realistic results possible.
In total, 775 samples of 312 foods were analyzed for plastic chemicals.
To avoid any contamination, all products were sent to an examined testing laboratory in their original packaging.
After testing, Sweetgreen’s chicken salad was considered the worst fast food product due to its high phthalate content.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), daily exposure levels to phthalates, specifically DEHP, are considered potentially hazardous, around 20 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day.
Sweetgreen’s salad contained an average of 0.05 mg per serving (395 g), as did Starbucks’ matcha latte.
While the researchers acknowledge that this is a small amount, considered safe by current safety standards, they suggest that much of the data and research on the toxicity of plastic is outdated.
Next, Shake Shack’s Cheeseburger had 0.04 mg of phthalates per serving, followed by Burger King’s Cheese Whopper (0.03 mg per serving), Taco Bell’s Cantina Chicken Burrito (0.02 mg per serving) and In-n-Out’s ‘Animal Style’ Cheeseburger. (0.01 mg per serving).
Other fast food items listed with amounts of around 0.01 mg to 0.02 mg of phthalates per serving include Wendy’s Dave’s Single with Cheese, Chipotle’s Burrito with Red Beans, Vegetables, Chicken and Sour Cream, and Chick-fil-A’s Deluxe Sandwich.
Overall, the research team detected phthalates in 73 percent of the 312 products they tested.
As part of the 18-month study, researchers also tested items for bisphenol A (BPA), which is an industrial chemical used in the production of plastics and aluminum cans.
An Australian study published last year found that children exposed to BPA, an endocrine disruptor in the womb, were six times more likely to be diagnosed with autism before age 11 than those without exposure.
That team suggested that BPA, which coats plastic and metal food packaging, was associated with neurological and behavioral changes associated with autism.
Of all the foods tested, Sweetgreen’s Pesto Parmesan Chicken Salad was found to contain the highest amount of phthalates, averaging 47,971 ng per serving (395 g).
Other foods with a high concentration of phthalates included Taco Bell’s Cantina Chicken Burrito (28,036 ng per serving)
Samples of 22 products, from suppliers ranging from Starbucks to Shake Shack to Whole Foods, in the new study exceeded the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) intake limits for BPA.
The excess amounts ranged from 450 percent to 32.571 percent of the EFSA limits for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult.
One of the worst offenders when it comes to BPA content was Boba Guys’ ‘Boba Tea Pearls’, which according to the PlasticList team ‘far exceed the EFSA limit for daily BPA consumption.’
Boba tea, or bubble tea, is a drink that contains tapioca balls called boba.
The boba tea in question from Boba Guys is equivalent to 1.2 years of safe BPA consumption, according to the EFSA.
Several other Boba Guys teas were criticized for their “unhealthy” BPA content, while Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna was also criticized, as were several tap water samples.
The researchers suggested that plastic pipes used both in individual homes and across water service regions could be responsible for the high BPA content.
When it comes to phthalates, all foods tested by PlasticList were considered safe to consume according to FDA, EPA, and EFSA standards for chemical content in foods.
While the phthalate levels are considered “safe,” the PlasticList team says they remain a cause for concern and suggest that current safety limits are outdated.
For example, they highlight that the EPA’s 2024 safety limit for DEHP is based on a 1953 study.
US food safety expert Darin Detwiler also told DailyMail.com that he finds the research findings into plastics “concerning” and that consumers should take note.
He explains: ‘Young children are much more sensitive to even small exposures due to their size and stage of development.
‘Most foods don’t come close to 1 percent BPA or DEHP (phthalates), but leaching from packaging into foods can cause chronic, low-level exposures that build up over time.
“Reducing exposure to BPA and DEHP in foods is particularly important for young children, pregnant people, and those who consume large amounts of packaged or processed foods.”
Echoing Dr. Detwiler’s sentiments, the PlasticList team concludes: ‘We came away from this project with the view that the current safety limits for plastic chemicals could be materially incorrect.
Phthalates are commonly used in food packaging materials and have been called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down once they enter the body.
One Boba tea is equivalent to 1.2 years of safe BPA consumption, according to EFSA
‘The limits set by different agencies contradict each other, many of them have not been revised in decades despite scientific advances, and real-world scenarios, such as chemical mixtures, have not been studied enough.
“We think there is enough evidence that plastic chemicals are bad for babies that this is worthy of concern for parents and for experts to do more studies.”
The European Chemicals Agency notes that several phthalates, including DEHP, DBP, DIBP and BBP, can harm fertility or harm the fetus and interfere with the hormonal system.
In particular, “they affect the sexual development of children, which can cause infertility in adults.”
Meanwhile, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry warns that adult animals that ate DEHP showed damage to the testicles and damage to the liver and kidneys along with decreased fertility.
To further underline the harmful effect of phthalates and in particular DEHP, the government agency refers to several animal studies.
In reveals: ‘Adult animals that ate DEHP showed decreased fertility, damage to the testicles, and damage to the liver and kidneys.
«Presensitized animals that ate or breathed DEHP showed an increase in allergies.
“When animals were exposed to DEHP during pregnancy or early life, many effects were observed, including blood sugar disturbances and impaired development or function of the reproductive, renal, hepatic, or nervous systems.”
It is not known whether DEHP can cause cancer in people, but rats and mice that ate DEHP over a long period developed liver cancer.
Some animals also developed pancreatic and testicular cancer.