Watch Out For These Creepy Contaminants In Your Food & Drinks
Watch Out For These Creepy Contaminants In Your Food & Drinks
Boo! Scientists Find Soda Fountain Contamination in California. Plus, PFAS is Still in Food Packaging.
Each year at Halloween, we put out a scary, spooky, or creepy list to remind you that contamination issues are everywhere. Listen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news when it comes to toxins in our food and water, but it’s always good to be informed.
Think Before You Drink
Microbiologists at Loma Linda University made a scary discovery earlier this year when they tested soda fountains, water vending machines*, and tap water faucets in the eastern Coachella Valley in California. Their research found evidence of microbial contamination in these water supplies.
*Water vending machines (WVMs) are where you can fill large jugs of water, typically at grocery stores, which consumers take home.
Microbial, or biological, contaminants refer to organisms in the water, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
The small study collected 72 samples from the three types of water sources.
The researchers purchased food and drinks from the fast-food restaurants where the samples were collected, and the chains were not made aware of the study.
They found bacteria called total coliforms in:
41 percent of soda fountain samples
20 percent of the water vending machine samples
50 percent of faucet samples from the stores with the water vending machines
88 percent of swab samples from inside spigots taken from the water vending machines and tap water faucets
Coliform bacteria are often referred to as “indicator organisms” because they imply the potential presence of disease-causing bacteria in water.
Their presence means a contamination pathway exists between a source of bacteria, such as surface water, septic system, or animal waste, and the water supply, and that disease-causing bacteria may be able enter the water supply.
When coliform bacteria are present in a water system it’s generally either a result of a failure to maintain a “closed” system and/or equipment failure, according to the U.S. EPA.
In this case, the researchers said the most likely cause is a buildup of biofilms, a slime layer of microorganisms that form on surfaces in contact with water, in tap water distribution systems.
“To improve water quality from dispensed water, we recommend regular cleaning and flushing of dispensers by owners,” the study authors wrote. “We recommend regular flushing and cleaning of water dispensers and the use of nanoparticle coated tubes inside water dispensers to control the growth of biofilms in water dispensers.”
When it comes to water, we all need to think more about where it comes from and how it’s dispensed. It’s not just about our taps but anywhere that you might be looking to quench your thirst.
“The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water is a serious public health concern and cannot be overemphasized,” they wrote.
I’d love to see a larger study of these same sources around the country and for the proper regulatory agencies to remind fast-food operators about the required guidelines to clean soda fountains regularly.
Worrisome Wraps, Packaging, & More
Want to avoid eating food tainted with forever chemicals? Yea, me too. 🙋♀️
PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are called forever chemicals because they are known for their ability to remain in the environment and the human body for years. PFAS are associated with serious health effects, including infertility, high blood pressure and some cancers.
We talk a lot about how PFAS has contaminated drinking water, but it also seeps into crops, fish, and livestock, which ultimately contaminates the food we eat. PFAS is used in food packaging such as bags, sandwich wrappers, and takeout containers, which can migrate to our food.
Also: people who regularly consume microwave popcorn have markedly higher levels of PFAS in their bodies. Yuck!
So how can you avoid them? Here are a few tips.
Avoid Greasy Foods
A lot of fast-food packaging is designed to fight grease to help keep oily, juicy foods from spilling all over you. Unfortunately, that means they often contain PFAS. You can find it in paper wrappers, boxes, and any container that serves burgers, fries, and more from fast-food and fast-casual restaurants. Even salad containers!
“Your risk of exposure to PFAS depends on the ‘contact time,’ or the time the food has spent inside of that plastic bag or paper wrapper,” Jamie DeWitt, professor of pharmacology and toxicology at East Carolina University, told The Washington Post.
In 2022, Consumer Reports tested more than 100 food packages and discovered high levels of PFAS in wraps, trays and bags from Burger King, McDonald’s, Sweetgreen, Cava, and others.
Many of these same companies have vowed to reduce or phase out packaging with forever chemicals in the coming years.
Until then, if you are getting takeout, get it out of its packaging as soon as you can. The longer food sits in PFAS-packed wrappers, the more likely that PFAS will get into your food. Put your food on a plate or store it in glass containers as soon as you can.
Learn how to make your own popcorn.
Ditch Your Non-Stick Cookware
I know, I know. How do you scramble an egg without a non-stick pan? Look for companies that tout their products as PFAS-free, which can include aluminum, ceramic, cast-iron, and stainless steel pans.
It’s not just about the exposure from the cookware, but about not supporting the manufacturers who risk worker safety and clean water to produce their non-stick products.
Support PFAS-Free Products
PFAS Central, a partnership between the Green Science Policy Institute and the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeastern University, maintains a list of products that are free of PFAS with links to their policies.
Help Pass Legislation to Ban PFAS in Food Packaging
The Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act of 2021 is a bipartisan bill that would ban the use of toxic PFAS in food containers and cookware. This legislation would help to prevent further pollution by prohibiting food packaging that contains intentionally added PFAS in at the federal level. Learn more here.
What’s on your scary list? Let us know in the comments below and tell us any tips you have to avoid toxins in your life.