BOSTON – A new study by Consumer Reports found a large amount of the foods we eat contain tiny plastics called phthalates and they can be harmful.
“We wanted to see, number one, are they there in the food? And number two, what were the concentrations?” James Rogers of Consumer Reports told WBZ-TV.
85 food products tested for plastics
The non-profit consumer organization tested 85 different food products for phthalates and the results were concerning.
“Of the 85 different products that we tested, only one had zero phthalates in them,” Rogers said.
So-called “heart healthy” Cheerios from General Mills had nearly 11,000 nanograms of phthalates per serving.
Plastics in fast food
Many fast foods came in even higher. Burger King’s Whopper with cheese had more than 20,000 nanograms, Wendy’s crispy chicken nuggets had nearly 34,000 nanograms per serving.
“We also say, reduce or totally avoid fast food, because in our article, it shows that the fast food was particular high in plasticizers,” Roger said.