Food wrappers by fast food chains including Burger King, Chick-fil-A and Arby’s ‘contain harmful chemicals’, report says

FAST food restaurant wrappers from a host of big-name chains could contain high levels of dangerous chemicals, a new report has warned.

A number of popular restaurants have been exposed as using grease-proof packaging that contains “forever chemicals” that don’t break down in the environment, according to Consumer Reports.

GettyPFAS exposure has been linked to a number of growing health problems[/caption]

GettyArby’s is one fast-food chain that uses PFAS in their paper products[/caption]

According to the investigation, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are used by chains like Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, Arby’s, and Sweetgreen for the purpose of preventing grease and water from soaking through food wrappers and cups.

The CDC has said that exposure to the forever chemical is a “public health concern” because the substance could harm the immune system, even reducing antibody responses to vaccines.

“PFAS are materials of which the average person should be aware,” said James Dickerson, chief scientific officer of Consumer Reports in 2019.

“CR has investigated the issue of chemical exposure for 80 plus years. PFAS and similar compounds have emerged as significant potential risks that should be mitigated.”

In a recent report, Consumer Reports tested over 100 products from popular chains and were stunned to find that PFAS were in some packaging from each retailer that they tested.

The highest levels of indicators for PFAS were found in food packaging from Nathan’s Famous, Cava, Arby’s, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Stop & Shop, and Sweetgreen, according to the report.

The chemicals were found in many types of packaging: paper bags for french fries cookies, hamburger wrappers, molded fiber salad bowls, and single-use paper plates.

However, all of the companies listed also had some packaging that tested at levels below 200 parts per million, which is reasonable compared to the high indicators of PFAS at 500 ppm.

“We know from our testing that it is feasible for retailers to use packaging with very low PFAS levels,” says Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports.

“So the good news is there are steps that companies can take now to reduce their use of these dangerous chemicals.”

Because PFAS are so widely-used, it would be almost impossible to completely eliminate them from the environment — but getting to a low level is an attainable goal.

PHASING OUT

Many fast-food chains plan to phase out the use of PFAS in the coming years.

Mcdonald’s said that it plans on getting rid of the dangerous material by 2025.

“By the end of 2020, less than 7.5% of our guest packaging items globally still contained added fluorinated compounds,” the company said to The Sun.

“For these items, we continue our work to find and apply alternative coating materials that offer the right grease-resistant barriers.”

Arby’s will be rid of the dangerous materials even sooner, as the company confirmed it’s on track to have all PFAS removed from packing products by the end of 2022.

A Chick-Fil-A spokesperson told The Sun that the company has spent the last four years working to change their packaging products to meet all applicable regulatory standards to move towards using more sustainable materials.

“Chick-fil-A has eliminated intentionally added PFAS from all newly produced packaging going forward in our supply chain,” the spokesperson said.

“While some legacy packaging may still be in restaurants, it is expected to be phased out by the end of this summer.”

Though it was reported that Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs had the highest amount of the chemical in its packaging, the company confirmed that it began phasing out the red and green striped bags that were tested two years ago, meaning that they have not been produced in years.

The company confirmed that the full transition of the package redesign will be completed by December of this year.

Cava released a statement at the beginning of the month stating: “Due to a multitude of factors related to the pandemic, and especially global supply chain shortages, the transition to eliminating added PFAs, which began in August of 2021, is taking longer than planned. Our teams are working with our suppliers to complete the transition within the year.”

Stop & Shop confirmed that the Nature’s Promise brand plates cited in this Consumer Report have been removed from all stores.

“We stand behind the safety and quality of our private label Nature’s Promise products,” a Stop & Shop spokesperson said.

ENVIRONMENTAL DANGER

The use of “forever chemicals” is not only concerning for people’s health, but it also endangers the environment.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS can be found in water, air, fish, and soil across the world due to it ending up in landfills.

PFAS can contaminate water and soil and even air if the substances are burned.

Many health and environmental activists are pushing for federal regulatory limits for PFAS food packaging, as action is currently up to the states.

California is expected to set the limit for PFAS at less than 100 ppm in January 2023.

Burger King, Sweetgreen, and Cava have not responded to The Sun’s request for comment.

Getty ImagesIt would be almost impossible to completely eliminate PFAS from the environment[/caption]