Why do we allow our fast food wrappers to contain toxic chemicals?

        December 2021

 A summary for food, chemical and electro sensitivities

Why do we allow our fast food wrappers to contain toxic chemicals?

According to a new study out of George Washington University, fast-food containers (such as wrappers used for burgers and burritos) contain toxic chemicals known to interfere with our reproductive systems and contribute to attention and learning disorders.

Many convenience foods come with an ingredient list showing consumers what went into the product they’re eating or drinking. Of course, this list doesn’t include the chemicals used to make the box, bag or wrapper encasing the food, or other materials that come into contact with our meal – like the plastic gloves used to handle the sandwich toppings. But these compounds make their way into our food and we ingest them.

The George Washington study found ortho-phthalates in burritos and burgers, while another study determined that PFAS chemicals (the non-stick chemicals made famous by the recent film Dark Waters) are in more than half of the contact paper used to wrap desserts and baked goods and line your pizza box.

PFAS exposure is associated with testicular cancer, thyroid disease and immune dysfunction, among many other alarming conditions. According to population studies, all Americans now have traces of ortho-phthalates and PFAS in their bodies, along with dozens of other compounds.

To make the food system safer for everyone we need to direct some of our disgust and anger toward the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the companies that make food packaging.

The FDA is responsible for making sure that convenience foods and food packaging are safe but it has utterly failed to do so. Time and time again, the FDA has ignored calls to reform how it evaluates the safety of food and food packaging materials, or has relied on manufacturers’ goodwill to voluntarily change the packaging materials they use.

Fast-food chains bear the lion’s share of responsibility for this problem. Campaigns demonstrating the toxicity of food packaging materials have made this industry aware that its packaging is full toxic substances. A few companies, like McDonald’s, have promised to phase out some of these harmful compounds, like PFAS, but many have not.

In fact, chains continue to actively push their products on Black and Hispanic youth through targeted marketing. That companies actively promote products they know to be harmful is disturbing. It’s especially alarming because adolescence is a time of rapid growth and development that is sensitive to the harmful effects of toxic chemicals.

To protect the public from chemicals in all food packaging, the FDA must radically revise its standards for food packaging and force food companies to find safer and greener options.

Read the rest of this article from The Guardian.

If you're suffering from a variety of unexplained symptoms - sensitivity to foods, chemicals or electrical products could be the cause, find out more here.

 Festive Tips

Christmas Trees

Pine pollen is a major allergy trigger for some people. Fir, spruce, or cypress may be a better bet. The Leyland Cyprus is a sterile hybrid tree, which means it does not produce any pollen. Although it will still release terpenes (the pine smell) which is unlikely to be tolerated by people with MCS.

Wash your tree: spray off your tree with water and allow to dry overnight in the garage before putting it up. This will remove some of the loose mould and pollen that is on the tree. Allow it to dry before bringing indoors.

Artificial Trees: These may harbour dust and mould from storage. Wipe them down with a dust cloth, or take them outside and hose them off if they are not pre-lit. Choose a tree with less off-gassing: Some new artificial trees are made of moulded polyethylene (PE) instead of PVC, which may have lower levels of out-gassing. These trees are very realistic, but tend to be more expensive than PVC trees. Try an eco-friendly alternative tree: Some of the creative alternative trees have a modernist design, others are more basic. All are a fun solution to the Christmas tree dilemma, or why not find a suitable branch to bring in and decorate?

Christmas Decorations

Dust your ornaments: Christmas ornaments will have been sitting in a box all year, and may be coated in dust or mould. If possible, unwrap them outside to avoid spreading dust inside your home. Wipe them off with a soft cloth before hanging. At the end of the season, wrap your ornaments in new paper, rather than re-using old, dusty paper.

Clean your wreaths: Artificial wreaths can be vacuumed or dusted with a soft cloth. Avoid scented candles: Scented candles can cause stuffy noses and irritated lungs. If you crave a little atmosphere with your holiday meals, try unscented beeswax, vegetable wax, or LED candles and tea-lights.

Whether you are looking for articles on chemical sensitivity, food intolerance, electro-sensitivity or general news, use the menus to navigate through our articles here.

'Free From' Recipe: Christmas Cake 

Dairy, egg, gluten, lactose, nightshade, nut, soy and wheat free

Ingredients:

50g dried apricots

50g coconut oil (we used Lucy Bee's) or dairy-free spread

50g agave syrup or dark muscovado sugar

1/2 large Bramley cooking apple or 1 sharp eating apple, peeled and cored

100g raisins

50g sultanas

50g currants

2 pieces stem ginger, chopped (optional)

125g Doves Farm (or other brand) self-raising gluten-free flour

1 heaped tsp each ground cinnamon and nutmeg

2 heaped tsp gluten and wheat-free baking powder

50g gluten-free rolled oats

100ml apple juice, orange juice or brandy

Serves 6-8

Method:

Soak the apricots in boiling water for 5–10 minutes depending on how 'dried' they are.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

Meanwhile, beat the coconut oil or dairy-free spread with the agave syrup or muscovado sugar until creamy.

Drain the apricots and then purée them with the apple in a food processor. Add the sugar and spread and whizz again briefly. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the raisins, sultanas, currants and ginger if you are using it and mix well. Sieve together the flour, spices and baking powder then fold into the mixture along with the oats and the liquid. Make sure all is well mixed.

Line a 150cm/6inch cake tin with oiled greaseproof paper, spoon in the mixture, bang flat then bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes in the tin then turn out onto a rack, peel off the greaseproof paper and allow to cool completely before icing, if you are going to do so.

Thanks to Foods Matter.com for kindly letting us reproduce this dish.

Click for the full recipe.

I'm a Doctor With Chronic Illness, Here Are 12 Things I Wish People Knew.

I want to spread awareness so that friends, family, employers, coworkers, and health care professionals can better understand chronic illness. My hope is that an increase in awareness will help strengthen relationships, reduce misunderstandings, and improve support systems for those with chronic illness. 

About Chronic Illness

Chronic illness is a disease, condition, or injury that can last years or a lifetime and is typically not curable, though in some cases it may go into remission. It can vary in its severity, with some people able to work and live active or seemingly “normal” lives; while others are very sick and may even be homebound.

Many people with chronic illness have an invisible chronic illness. The severity of their symptoms is not clearly noticeable, which may lead to a lack of understanding and support from doctors, family, friends, and co-workers.

1. Nobody wants to feel sick.

In all my years as a doctor treating patients with chronic illness, I never saw a patient who enjoyed feeling ill. I saw the opposite, patients who were once very active, desperately trying to find answers and treatment for their overwhelming symptoms.

2. Many doctors don’t understand chronic illness.

For years, doctors were under the misperception that some chronic illnesses were caused by depression or anxiety and the only treatment available for these patients was psychiatric care.

Despite medical evidence disproving this perception, some doctors are “set in their ways” and do not truly understand chronic illness or how to appropriately address it. Therefore, patients often have to spend precious time searching for a doctor who understands their illness and provides appropriate treatment options while their symptoms potentially worsen.

3. Being unable to work is not a vacation.

Those who are not able to work due to chronic illness are not “on vacation.” They are instead, struggling every day to do simple tasks: getting out of bed, getting dressed, making a meal, bathing, etc. They are often homebound, too sick to leave their homes except for doctor appointments.

Have you ever been stuck indoors for a couple of days due to bad weather or a temporary health issue? Remember feeling annoyed with the inability to leave your home and be active? Now imagine not being able to leave your home for weeks or months at a time. Frustrating, right? 

This was first published online at ehealthmagz.org you can read the full article here.

ME community to get this message out to GPs across the country. 

The updated NICE guideline on ME/CFS contains substantial changes that alter the treatment and management of people with ME in England and Wales*. MEAction.net need your help to tell doctors and other medical staff that the recommended treatments for people with ME have changed. They want to get the message out that there are new recommendations on the way people with ME can be supported, but they should not offer harmful treatments like Graded Exercise Therapy (GET). They are asking us to join together so that we can reach GPs and medical professionals all across the country, and share the new guideline with them by sending their template letter to our GP's.  Find out more. 

*The #MEAction Scotland team are campaigning to get an urgent meeting with the Scottish Minister for Health to discuss how soon a new guideline for Scotland can be developed, based on the NICE guideline. We’ll update you as soon as we have more information.

There will be more from us about the new NICE ME/CFS Guidelines in the Christmas edition of our magazine.

Search weblinks on chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) on our site here.

Response from MP on opposing bill to force 100% of England and Wales to drink fluoridated water.

Last month we sent the UK Freedom from Fluoride Alliance's template letter to Bim Afolami, the Conservative MP for Hitchin and Harpenden. We have received a letter from Mr Afolami in response. If you also wish to see his letter please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Overcoming Chronic Illness Masterclass: Infections, Toxins and Mindset FREE from Dec 6-12, 2021.

Join this extensive, expert-led masterclass to learn how underlying infections, environmental toxins and chronic stress set the stage for long-term illness, and explore solutions for getting well and staying healthy.

1 in 3 adults worldwide live with multiple chronic conditions. Millions of people are either living with chronic illness or know someone close to them who is.

We’re overloaded and stressed out, our world is getting more toxic and our resilience to overcome this toxicity, trauma and stress is diminishing, making us weaker and more likely to get sick or chronically ill.

What’s more, chronic illness often comes with mental health challenges, changes our identity, and we forget who we once were before getting sick.

Can you imagine what it would be like to reinvent a new you?

 Sign up for your free place here. Found through BetterHealthGuy.com.

JOIN US FOR 2022 or give a MCS Gift Subscription for Xmas

We set up our membership subscription as the most effective way to help people with MCS cope and start recovery. Joining not only helps you feel better but every penny goes towards keeping the charity going so we can keep helping you. With over 50 help sheets, pen pal community, help with benefits and welfare, free magazines, and discounts off products, there are lots of benefits to support you, a friend or loved one. Merry Christmas to you all. Membership is worldwide, and you can choose to receive information by email or by post.Find out more here.

Glossary: EI: Environmental Illness, MCS: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, EHS/ ES: Electro-Hypersensitivity

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