There’s A New Study That Shows Toxic Chemicals Have Been Found in Taco Bell Burritos and McDonald’s Big Macs
I think it’s safe to say that deep down inside we all know that fast food is not good for us, I try to be mindful while eating out… but none of us are perfect.
What some people may not realize is it’s more than just salt, sugar, trans fats, etc.
It’s chemicals, chemicals that really have no business being in the foods we eat.
A recent study conducted by Lariah Edwards and colleagues shows some icky things in the foods being served to us.
They ordered food from 6 popular fast food chains
- McDonald’s
- Burger King
- Pizza Hut
- Domino’s
- Taco Bell
- Chipotle
In the study they tested samples of the most popular meals from each fast food restaurant for 11 plasticizing chemicals.
They tested hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, burritos with chicken, salsa, beans, rice, and plain cheese pizzas.
The foods that contained meat had higher levels of chemicals in them.
We found DEHT at the highest concentrations in both foods (n = 19; median = 2510 µg/kg; max = 12,400 µg/kg) and gloves (n = 3; range: 28–37% by weight). We detected DnBP and DEHP in 81% and 70% of food samples, respectively. Median DEHT concentrations were significantly higher in burritos than hamburgers (6000 µg/kg vs. 2200 µg/kg; p < 0.0001); DEHT was not detected in fries. Cheese pizza had the lowest levels of most chemicals.
Results from study
Over 80% of the samples contained a class of chemicals that are used to make plastic softer, they’re known as phthalates, ewww!
Apprently these phthalates are often used in gloves and food packaging and are working their way into our food.
These chemicals have been linked to early death and reproductive issues
People that eat a lot of fast food and have an increased level of phthalates in their urine are more likely to die early
Also, phthalates have been linked to an interference of hormone function, which can cause infertility and damage child development.
These chemicals are also found in cleaning supplies and even cosmetics, and also cause a build-up in our bodies!
While they don’t build up in your body the way that PFAS chemicals do, you still are being constantly exposed to these phthalates from multiple sources,” Edwards told Insider.
Lariah Edwards told Insider
I think it’s time to go back to doing things old school and ditching fast food completely!
You can read the full study here.
