Current:Home > MyFood packaging containing toxic "forever chemicals" no longer sold in U.S., FDA says-VaTradeCoin
Food packaging containing toxic "forever chemicals" no longer sold in U.S., FDA says
View Date:2025-01-08 16:03:13
Fast-food wrappers and packaging that contain so-called forever chemicals are no longer being sold in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.
It's the result of a voluntary effort with U.S. food manufacturers to phase out food contact packaging made with PFAS, the acronym for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which do not degrade and can harm human health.
Starting in 2020, the FDA obtained commitments from U.S. food manufacturers to phase out PFAS in wrappers, boxes and bags with coating to prevent grease, water and other liquids from soaking through.
Many fast-food companies and other manufacturers, such as McDonald's, stopped using wrappers containing PFAS before the original phase-out date, the agency added.
PFAS have been linked to health problems affecting cholesterol levels, the function of the liver and the immune system and certain kinds of cancer.
Ridding packaging of the chemicals is a "great step in the right direction," said Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a pediatrics professor at the UW School of Medicine in Seattle, who has studied PFAS chemicals found in breast milk and elsewhere.
Removing the packaging from the U.S. market eliminates "the primary source of dietary exposure" from certain food contact uses, the FDA said, but Sathyanarayana noted there are "many sources of PFAS in our environment."
Drinking water is a key one, Sathyanarayana said. Consumers concerned about PFAS levels can look at maps maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency to see if their water is affected and obtain filters to remove the chemicals.
PFAS also accumulates in meat and dairy, she said, and advises people to cut back on those foods. She also recommended avoiding certain indoor cleaning solvents or products treated with water-resistant chemicals, as well as removing shoes indoors to keep from tracking PFAS into the house and washing your hands before eating or preparing food.
"None of us can avoid it," she said.
- In:
- PFAS
- Forever Chemicals
veryGood! (16373)
Related
- Black, red or dead: How Omaha became a hub for black squirrel scholarship
- Facial Fillers Might Be on the Decline, But Penis Fillers Are Rising More Than Ever
- Keep Up With the Kardashian-Jenner Family's Met Gala Appearances Over the Years
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $300 Crossbody Bag for Just $75
- Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline, shrugging off Wall Street’s overnight rally
- Khloé Kardashian's Good American 75% Off Deals: Last Day To Get $145 Jeans for $54, and More
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $300 Backpack for Just $96
- Save $493 on an HP Laptop and Get 1 Year of Microsoft Office and Wireless Mouse for Free
- Worker trapped under rubble after construction accident in Kentucky
- Edward Garvey
Ranking
- Summer I Turned Pretty's Gavin Casalegno Marries Girlfriend Cheyanne Casalegno
- Jersey Shore's Angelina Pivarnick Is Engaged to Vinny Tortorella
- Why Molly Ringwald Rejected Pretty Woman Role—That Later Went to Julia Roberts
- Zendaya and Tom Holland's Dream Date Night at Usher's Concert Will Have You Saying Yeah!
- Video ‘bares’ all: Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume
- Mother’s Day 2023: The Best Flower Deals Your Mom Will Appreciate
- Carbon Pricing Can Help Save Forests––and the Climate––Analysis Says
- Future of Stephen tWitch Boss’ Estate Is Determined After He Died Without a Will
Recommendation
-
After years of unrest, Commanders have reinvented their culture and shattered expectations
-
Amazon Reviewers Call These Hydrating Under Eye Patches Magic
-
Step Inside Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge's Tropical Honeymoon
-
Feast Your Ocean Eyes on Billie Eilish’s Met Gala 2023 Attire
-
Ex-Phoenix Suns employee files racial discrimination, retaliation lawsuit against the team
-
9-1-1 Cancelled by Fox, Saved by Another Network in TV Shocker
-
Today’s Climate: April 28, 2010
-
Bad Bunny Looks White Hot in Backless Suit at the Met Gala 2023