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[00:01.20]New research from the American

[00:03.56]non-profit organization Consumer Reports

[00:07.72]finds that plastics have a "widespread" presence in food.

[00:14.48]The group called on the United States government

[00:18.88]to examine the safety of food that comes into contact

[00:23.44]with plastics during production.

[00:26.84]In a report released Thursday, Consumer Reports

[00:31.00]said that 84 out of 85 food products it recently tested

[00:36.76]contained "plasticizers" called phthalates.

[00:41.44]Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastic last longer.

[00:48.20]The tested food came from supermarkets and restaurants.

[00:53.28]The researchers also said 79 percent

[00:57.56]of the foods examined contained bisphenol A (BPA),

[01:04.20]another chemical found in plastic,

[01:07.32]and other bisphenols.

[01:10.16]But levels were lower than in tests done in 2009.

[01:16.72]Consumer Reports said all the phthalate levels

[01:20.76]were within limits set by U.S. and European regulators.

[01:27.16]However, this does not mean the chemicals are safe to eat.

[01:31.80]Deciding acceptable levels

[01:34.36]for such chemicals in food is tricky.

[01:37.76]Officials in the U.S. and Europe have set limits

[01:42.12]for only bisphenol A (BPA) and a few phthalates.

[01:46.72]All the foods tested remained

[01:49.08]within the limits, the experts said.

[01:51.96]However, does that mean it is safe to eat?

[01:56.36]The researchers say no.

[01:58.52]Tunde Akinleye was the lead scientist in the food testing.

[02:04.36]He says many of the limits on the chemicals

[02:08.40]are not in line with the most

[02:10.76]current scientific knowledge, he reported.

[02:14.04]"We don't feel comfortable

[02:16.48]saying these levels are okay," Akinleye said.

[02:21.44]Phthalates and bisphenols can interfere

[02:24.80]with the body's production and release of estrogen

[02:28.68]and other hormones.

[02:30.52]That can lead to increased risk of birth defects,

[02:34.72]cancer, diabetes, reproductive problems,

[02:38.68]developmental disorders, and other health conditions.

[02:43.84]Among the tested supermarket foods,

[02:46.88]Annie's Organic Cheesy Ravioli

[02:49.92]contained the most phthalates.

[02:52.64]Del Monte peaches and Chicken of the Sea

[02:56.12]pink salmon also were high in phthalates.

[03:00.72]Increased phthalate levels were also found

[03:03.44]in products including Cheerios,

[03:05.96]Gerber baby food and Yoplait yogurt.

[03:09.88]And the researchers found increased levels

[03:13.28]in hamburger, chicken and potatoes

[03:16.48]from fast food restaurants

[03:18.48]Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonald's.

[03:21.96]Consumer Reports also found some wide differences

[03:25.36]in levels among similar products.

[03:28.56]For example, some chicken from McDonald's

[03:31.80]contained four times more phthalates

[03:34.32]than a similar chicken product from Wendy's.

[03:37.92]"That tells us that,

[03:40.48]as widespread as these chemicals are,

[03:43.32]there are ways to reduce how much is in our foods,"

[03:47.20]said James Rogers.

[03:49.20]He supervises Consumer Reports' product safety testing.

[03:54.68]Polar raspberry lime seltzer

[03:57.28]was the only tested product containing no phthalates.

[04:01.76]General Mills produces brands

[04:04.40]including Annie's, Cheerios and Yoplait.

[04:08.00]The company did not immediately

[04:10.04]answer requests for comment.

[04:12.20]Burger King and Wendy's also

[04:14.84]did not immediately answer such requests.

[04:18.52]Chicken of the Sea and Del Monte said

[04:21.64]they do not add phthalates to their food,

[04:24.28]and that their suppliers guarantee the same.

[04:27.72]Del Monte added that phthalates

[04:30.08]are "widespread in the environment."

[04:33.12]Gerber and McDonald's said they follow government rules

[04:37.52]connected to their products

[04:39.72]and require testing for food packaging as well.

[04:43.44]I'm Ashley Thompson.

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Words in This Story

supermarket — n. a store where customers can buy a variety of foods and usually household items

comfortable — adj. not causing any physically unpleasant feelings

defect — n. a problem or fault that makes someone or something not perfect