2024: Plastics in Our Bodies

Part 2 – The year to kick the fast food habit and start eating our veggies!

Consumer Reports just published a report testing a wide variety of popular fast foods and supermarket staples to see how prevalent plastic chemicals are in our food. Their tests of nearly 100 foods found that despite growing evidence of potential health threats, plastic chemicals remain widespread in our food at concerningly high levels.

Why is this an issue?

Growing research shows that these plastic chemicals, called plasticizers, are endocrine disruptors, which means that they can interfere with the production and regulation of estrogen and other hormones. Even minor disruptions in hormone levels can contribute to an increased risk of several health problems, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, birth defects, premature birth, neurodevelopmental disorders, and infertility.

What is the FDA doing about it?

That’s the big problem…not enough.

Growing concerns about the health risks posed by plasticizers have led U.S. regulators to meaningfully curtail the use of these chemicals in a number of products—but not yet food.

While the FDA no longer allows certain plasticizers in materials that come into contact with food, the agency updated its regulations only after those chemicals were no longer in use. And just last year, it rejected an appeal from several groups calling for a ban on multiple plastic chemicals used in materials that come into contact with food.

We encourage you to browse through the list of tested foods to inform your own opinion on how to best avoid these chemicals, but Consumer Reports suggests the following:

• Steer clear of fast foods. Tests found some of the highest levels of phthalates and phthalate substitutes in fast food.

• Limit high-fat foods.  Some research has found higher levels of plasticizers, many of which are known to be fat-soluble, in foods with higher fat content.

• Eat as little packaged and processed food as possible. Tests found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods, such as french fries and ice cream pops, had higher levels of certain plastic chemical byproducts in their urine.

• Eat fresh. Make sure your diet includes plenty of unpackaged fruits and vegetables, which have fewer chances to have contact with plastic chemicals.

Need more?

Sign the CR petition asking the FDA to get plasticizers out of our food!

And join the Environmental Action Committee the third Monday of every month to learn more, or email us at environment@lwvchicago.org.