Take a trip through the grocery store or stop at a fast-food restaurant, and the packaged food you buy probably contains some form of a chemical used to make plastic, Consumer Reports’ testing finds.
Consumer Reports tested 85 foods, a wide variety including cereals, canned fruits and fish, meats, baby food, beverages, and fast food. They were looking primarily for chemicals called phthalates and bisphenols, such as BPA.
“We found them in almost every food tested at levels that our scientists say are not OK,” said Consumer Reports’ Lauren Friedman.
Even at low levels, studies suggest these chemicals can contribute to an increased risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
Eliminating these chemicals from our diet is hard, if not impossible.
“The problem is it’s not just about avoiding foods wrapped in plastic. There are so many ways these chemicals can get into our food,” Friedman said.
The conveyor belts and the food handling gloves used during food processing and contaminated water and soil can be responsible.
What can you do to minimize chemical exposure?
First, try to avoid plastic food storage containers, especially if not toxin-free. If you use them, don’t microwave them because heat can increase chemical leaching into your food.
Watch the fast foods, which were found to have some of the highest levels of plasticizers like phthalates in CR’s tests.
“One reason fast foods may have such high levels is because they’re often prepared by people wearing vinyl gloves, which are known to be extremely high in these chemicals,” Friedman said.
Try to eat fresh, minimally processed foods, such as unpackaged fruits and vegetables, which have fewer opportunities to touch things with phthalates.
Stick with wood, stainless steel, and silicone kitchen tools. And swap out plastic water bottles for bottles made out of glass or steel.
CR also recommends limiting high-fat foods in your diet because some research has found higher levels of phthalates in foods with higher fat content.
Click here to see what Consumer Reports tested.