Is That Burger Wrapped in Harmful Chemicals? Fast food packaging contains fluorine that can leach into food

It's not just the fast-food burger and fries that are unhealthy -- the packaging they come in might be bad for you too, scientists said. Of 407 fast-food packaging samples tested, 33% had detectable levels of fluorine, a marker for a class of highly fluorinated chemicals known as PFASs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), reported Laurel Schaider, PhD, of the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass., and colleagues. Previous research has linked PFASs with cancer, thyroid disease, immunotoxicity, low birth weight, and decreased fertility. These chemicals are used in food packaging because of their water- and grease-resistant properties, and research has shown they can leach into food, the authors wrote in Environmental Science & http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/GeneralEndocrinology/62851?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-02-02&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0