Despite an effort to clean up production of fast food wrappers, new research suggests a significant share likely still contain highly fluorinated chemicals linked to cancer and other ailments.

Researchers from nonprofit organizations and government agencies collaborated to test wrappers from 27 different fast food chains and local restaurants across the country. Their findings, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters, reveal that 40% of overall samples tested positive for fluorine, which suggests the presence of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs).

Some types of food packaging were more likely to contain fluorine than others. For example, dessert and bread wrappers contained fluorine 56% of the time, while sandwich and burger wrappers contained the chemical 38% of the time. None of the paper cup samples tested positive for fluorine.

Producers have voluntarily eliminated many fluorinated chemicals in response to growing awareness around the potential threat to human health, but the chemicals have been replaced with similar ones that scientists now believe may have the same health effects.

“Up and down the line there needs to be a greater level of concern,” said Bill Walker of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), one of the groups behind the study, in an emailed press release. “We’re not pointing the finger at the fast food chains or saying it’s safer to eat at one chain compared to another. It’s possible they’re not getting the straight story from their suppliers."

The EWG called for food companies to evaluate their supply chain more closely and for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change its approach on the issue.

Fast food wrappers are among a slew of products—including car seats, receipts, and canned food—containing toxic chemicals that humans are exposed to on a regular basis.

尽管人们对快餐包装的生产进行了大力整顿，但是一项新的研究发现，仍有相当一部分包装含有大量氟化物，可能导致癌症或其他疾病。

非营利组织和政府机构的研究人员合作测试了美国国内27家快餐连锁店和当地餐厅的包装。他们的结论发表在《环境科学与技术快报》（Environmental Science and Technology Letters）上，其中显示40%的样本在氟检测中呈阳性，也就是说，存在全氟化合物。

某些食品的包装含有氟化物的概率更高。例如，56%的甜品和面包包装样品，以及38%的三明治和汉堡包装样品中都含有氟化物。而这次所有纸杯样品的氟化物检测都呈阴性。

由于人们日益关注全氟化合物对人类健康的潜在威胁，生产商主动淘汰了许多该类物质，不过科学家如今认为，他们选用的类似替代品可能也会产生同样的影响。

这次研究的成员之一，环境工作组（Environmental Working Group, EWG）的比尔·沃克在邮件新闻稿中表示：“总之，这方面需要更多的关注。我们没有责怪快餐连锁店，或是说某家快餐店比另一家更安全。他们可能只是没有得到供应商坦诚的交待。”

环境工作组呼吁食品公司更进一步地评估他们的供应链，也希望美国食品与药物管理局（Food and Drug Administration, FDA）改变处理这一问题的方式。

除了快餐包装外，汽车座椅、收据、罐头食品等也都是人类经常接触，且含有有毒化学物质的产品。（财富中文网）

译者：严匡正