Interview with GWU scientist on links between fast food and toxic chemicals
February 4, 2022 | Safe Food | Tags: fast food, Phthalates, safe food, Toxic Chemicals
Recently, Dr. Lariah Edwards, Post-Doctoral Scientist in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at George Washington University, a lead author of a new study on phthalates, spoke with Health Europa to share details on her team’s investigation into the issue of phthalates and other chemical plasticisers found in fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Chipotle.
Phthalates are associated with several health risks and more than a decade of monitoring has shown that BIPOC communities are more highly exposed to phthalates than white people across the entire U.S population. The interview with Dr. Edwards emphasizes that though there has been legislation to restrict phthalates in certain products, there is still a lack of awareness for the consumer about the presence of phthalates in several everyday products, including food and beverage products, that are being consumed on a daily basis by many people.
In the interview, they cover details on how these chemicals are migrating into food and beverage products (primarily through food preparation and packaging), the lack of protection currently being implement by the EPA and FDA, the health implications of phthalates (particularly dangers to children), and what individuals can do to reduce risk of exposure to these chemicals.
She concludes on the subject of exposure with: “I recognise that it is not always feasible to reduce exposure to phthalates through what we consume. We know fast food is a cheap alternative to cooking at home and for some people, they rely on this more than others so it can be hard to avoid. While I can give people all the advice, no amount of individual action can bring phthalate exposure down to zero. This is really why we need these regulatory actions to help protect people from being exposed to these harmful chemicals that are difficult to avoid in our daily lives.”