Is your favorite fast food or fast casual restaurant packaging contain toxic PFAS “forever chemicals?” These chemicals can make your meal more toxic and may take decades to break down in your body. Mamavation community members expressed concern about this issue and asked us to identify which restaurants have the safest food packaging.
Fast food is a common occurrence, and we are here to help you navigate it. Just like we have covered topics such as the safest cookware without PFAS, safest yoga pants without PFAS, and water filters to remove PFAS, we are now conducting a consumer study on the safest food packaging at restaurants.
This study is done in collaboration with Environmental Health News and BoldTV.
Scientific reviews were conducted by experts in the field, including Terrence Collins, Linda S. Birnbaum, Pete Myers, and Scott Belcher. Additionally, this post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN.
Donations from Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members supported this study. We have affiliate links in this post that may earn us a portion of sales to cover testing costs.
Mamavation conducted a study in California, testing 81 pieces of fast food and fast casual food packaging for indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” PFAS are harmful substances that have been used for decades in various products, including food packaging.
Results showed that 35% of the tested packaging had indications of PFAS, with 12 brands showing presence of these chemicals. Despite the California law banning intentional PFAS in food packaging, detections above the allowed level were still found.
As a result, we are advocating for stricter enforcement of laws regarding PFAS in food packaging, including supporting legislation such as AB 347.
PFAS chemicals are harmful to human health and can persist in the body for years. Pregnant women and children are especially vulnerable to these chemicals. It is crucial to reduce exposure to PFAS from food, water, and consumer products.
Mamavation is committed to helping you protect your family from harmful chemicals like PFAS. “Here are some of the health impacts of various PFAS chemicals known as ‘forever chemicals’:
– Suppressed immunity
– Decreased response to vaccinations
– Elevated risk of allergies and asthma in young children
– Impaired growth, learning, and behavior in infants and older children
– Raised cholesterol levels
– Metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes
– Cardiovascular disease
– Reduced fertility in women
– Lowered male fertility
– Increased likelihood of kidney and testicular cancers
– Causes endocrine disruption
– Disrupted normal thyroid function
It is evident from biomonitoring data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that PFAS are present in the majority of Americans, posing a potential threat to most individuals.
Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences and Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, as well as co-author of ‘Our Stolen Future,’ expressed his concerns over the harmful effects of PFAS chemicals. He emphasized that the inclusion of PFAS in fast-food packaging without public consent has led to widespread exposure among the population.
Despite their grease and water-resistant properties, PFAS chemicals have contaminated fast food and fast-casual packaging for years, leading to a significant financial burden on taxpayers for clean-up efforts in water and soil.
While the Department of Defense has prohibited the use of PFAS in Military Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) starting in 2021, state-led initiatives have primarily driven changes to reduce PFAS exposure. Several states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, have enacted legislation to restrict PFAS usage in food packaging.
Monitoring and compliance with California’s new food packaging law (AB 1200) revealed violations by certain companies, prompting further investigation by organizations like Mamavation to identify non-compliant brands.
Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry and Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, emphasized the need to eliminate PFAS from food packaging to protect consumers, especially children, from potential health risks.
To minimize PFAS exposure, individuals can focus on reducing overall exposure within their control, such as in their homes, despite the pervasive presence of these chemicals in the environment.” Instead of stressing about the problem, use your money wisely, share important information with friends and family, and communicate your feelings about the issue to your elected officials.
Here are some ways Mamavation can assist you in reducing your family’s exposure to PFAS:
Food / Beverages / Water
Ensure your children wash their hands before eating (very important)
Invest in a water filter that can reduce PFAS
Prepare most of your meals at home using organic ingredients when possible
Limit consumption of fast food as much as possible due to additives and potential PFAS exposure from processing, handling, cookware, and packaging
Cookware / Bakeware
Switch to safer cookware without PFAS coatings
Choose PFAS-free bakeware and small kitchen appliances
Use silicone-based parchment paper or cupcake liners
Opt for stainless steel, bamboo, or PFAS-free disposable straws
Personal Care
Switch to a safer dental floss
Purchase personal care products without PFAS
Look for PFAS-free feminine care products
Clothing
Select jackets and bedding without PFAS waterproofing
Avoid clothing labeled as “water-proof,” “stain-proof,” or “wrinkle-free”
Choose active gear without PFAS
Bedroom
Opt for an organic mattress, especially for children
Indoor Air Quality
Use a strong air purifier near entertainment equipment and bedrooms
Regularly dust, vacuum, and mop to reduce PFAS and fire retardants in indoor air
Children’s Products
Choose safer baby equipment and probiotics for children
Misc
Select PFAS-free ski wax, car wax, and guitar strings if exposure is a concern
Mamavation has conducted consumer studies on PFAS in various products, including soft contact lenses, green beauty makeup, dental floss, toilet paper, period underwear, tampons, sanitary pads, powdered electrolytes, butter wrappers, pasta sauces, nut butters, cooking oils, ketchup, activewear, sports bras, parchment paper, cupcake liners, plastic-free straws, fast food packaging, children’s probiotics, kids’ backpacks, and baby strollers.
Mamavation has also examined restaurant brands’ efforts to eliminate PFAS from fast food packaging, with brands like Restaurant Brands International, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Panera, Sweetgreen, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s making commitments to reduce PFAS in their packaging by certain deadlines. We tested a few food packaging items and found that they all had non-detectable levels of PFAS “forever chemicals.”
Mamavation conducted an investigation into fast food and fast casual restaurants in mostly California, sending 81 pieces of packaging to an EPA-certified lab for testing for PFAS. The lab used a method to test for total fluorine and organic fluorine, with a focus on identifying PFAS contaminants. The results showed that some restaurants had packaging with organic fluorine levels above the California limit of 100 ppm.
Specific results included packaging from Jack-in-the-Box, KFC, McDonald’s, Mr. Beast Burger, and Starbucks with varying levels of organic fluorine. Some brands had packaging that exceeded the California limit, while others had measurable levels of PFAS but did not exceed the standard. Additionally, Buffalo Wild Wings, Burger King, California Pizza Kitchen, and Chick-Fil-A had packaging with lower levels of organic fluorine but still had some presence of PFAS.
Overall, the testing revealed that many fast food and fast casual restaurants had packaging containing PFAS “forever chemicals” to varying degrees. Todos los resultados después del 1 de enero de 2023.
El Pollo Loco (bolsa de tortilla) – 11 ppm de flúor orgánico (actualizado con información adicional en agosto de 2024).
Jersey Mikes (envoltorio de sándwich) – Flúor orgánico no detectado para el envoltorio de sándwich, y 12 ppm para el recipiente de sándwich (resultados de California después del 1 de enero de 2023) (actualizado con información adicional en agosto de 2024).
Panera (envoltorio de sándwich) – 22 ppm de flúor orgánico (resultado después del 1 de enero de 2023). Caja de sándwich de Panera 19 ppm de flúor orgánico (resultado después del 1 de enero de 2023).
Popeyes (envoltorio de papas fritas) – 25 ppm de flúor orgánico, envoltorio de hamburguesa de pollo fue de 10 ppm, y el Popeye Boat no se detectó (resultado después del 1 de enero de 2023).
Studio Movie Grill (bolsa de palomitas EcoSelect) – 67 ppm de flúor orgánico (actualizado con información adicional en agosto de 2024).
Universal Studios (papel encerado dentro de la caja de donas) – 80 ppm de flúor orgánico y la caja de donas no se detectó.
• Mejor Empaque de Restaurantes de Comida Rápida y Casual (*suspiro de alivio*) – Estos dieciocho minoristas de comida rápida tenían niveles de PFAS por debajo de 10 ppm. Enviamos envases de estas empresas a un laboratorio certificado por la EPA y recibimos resultados no detectados.
No podemos decir que no tienen PFAS, pero lo que podemos decir es que no se detectaron indicaciones de PFAS por encima de 10 partes por millón (ppm), que es el nivel de detección de la prueba que estamos utilizando. Estas empresas representarían el envase de alimentos más seguro. Sin embargo, no estamos sugiriendo que la comida sea genial o saludable. Solo estamos analizando el empaque.
Arby’s (envoltorio de sándwich) – Flúor orgánico no detectado (resultados de California antes del 1 de enero de 2023).
Carl’s Jr (envoltorio interno de hamburguesa, envoltorio externo de hamburguesa y caja de papas fritas) – Flúor orgánico no detectado (resultados de California antes del 1 de enero de 2023).
Chipotle (tazones para llevar) – Probamos tazones de California antes del 1 de enero de 2023 y encontramos resultados no detectados tanto en los tazones para adultos como en los tazones para niños. También probamos después del 1 de enero de 2023 y el resultado también fue no detectado.
Choose My Plate (bandeja de caja) de una escuela primaria pública en el condado de Ventura – Flúor orgánico no detectado (resultados de California después del 1 de enero de 2023).
Cold Stone Creamery (fondo de pastel dorado) – Flúor orgánico no detectado (resultados de California después del 1 de enero de 2023).
Cupids Hot Dogs (envoltorio de sándwich) – Flúor orgánico no detectado (resultados de California después del 1 de enero de 2023).
Daphne’s Green Cafe (envase de almejas y pita) – Flúor orgánico no detectado (resultados de California después del 1 de enero de 2023).
Dave and Busters (envoltorio de papas fritas) – Flúor orgánico no detectado (resultados de California después del 1 de enero de 2023).
Dunkin Donuts (caja de docena) – Flúor orgánico no detectado (resultados de California después del 1 de enero de 2023).