Schumer Calls for Study of Toxic Chemicals in Fast Food Packaging

What’s the story?

Sen Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called on the FDA to do government studies on the health effects of the use of toxic phthalates in fast food packaging and processing. CDC studies going back to 2010 have linked fast food consumption to increased phthalates in consumers’ bodies, but the FDA has taken no steps to date to address the issue.

Why does it matter?

Phthalates are a class of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible. According to SaferChemicals.org:

"[phthalates are] used in building materials, flooring, automotive interiors, furniture, and clothing...adhesives, dyes or inks, and solvents in an enormous range of everyday products including air fresheners, cleaning products and detergents, cosmetics, and personal-care products, such as fragrances and nail polish. Phthalates are also found in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food packaging, sealants, and printing inks.”

Many phthalates have been shown to be endocrine disruptors, meaning they disrupt the normal functioning of human hormonal systems, affecting fertility, testicular development in utero, as well as susceptibility to breast cancer in women. They leach from materials into food, are absorbed through the skin and are inhaled via dust. For this reason, via the Consumer Product Safety Act of 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of six types of phthalates in children’s toys and certain child care articles.

The CDC also underwent a seven year study, from 2003-2010, of the possible links between fast food consumption and phthalate exposure. The study found that in consumers who have eaten fast food in the last 24 hours, their blood levels of phthalates were between 23.8-39 percent higher than those who had not consumed fast food.

In the press release that accompanied Schumer’s letter to the head of the FDA, Schumer called on the FDA to expedite studies to assess the potentially toxic effects on millions of consumers:

"Consumers are not giving these everyday packaging products a second thought. They assume they are safe—and they should be, especially when their reach extends to millions upon millions of Americans. So, the FDA must take my order for a fast food packaging investigation very seriously and take this long-sitting health data off the backburner. The agency must now take a closer look at these products for the sake of consumers and their everyday health."

Some observers disagree about the risks of phthalates, even those involved in the government studies used to justify the ban of phthalates in children’s toys. They argue that the science did not show significant exposure or risk, so the ban was rooted more in public concern than science.

What can you do?

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— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Wikimedia / Creative Commons)