Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tests revealed the presence of dangerous chemicals in some food products.
The FDA tested for the presence of polyfluoroalykyl substances (PFAS), a manmade chemical that has been used as a nonstick coating on pots and pans, furniture, food containers, and a variety of other consumer products since it was invented by the DuPont corporation in 1938. Environmental contamination is an issue with PFAS, as traces of the chemical appear in land and bodies of water that are close to chemical processing plants. The substances also remain in the bodies of people who are exposed to PFAS — it has a “lifespan” of several thousand years. Exposure to PFAS has been associated with health effects such as cancer, birth defects, and liver disease.
Federal regulations establish maximums on the amount of PFAS that is considered a “safe” level of the chemicals. The FDA tests exhibited levels of PFAS well beyond federal caps in the foods that were tested. According to reports, “The levels in nearly half of the meat and fish tested were double or more the only currently existing federal advisory level for any kind of the widely used manmade compounds,” and “The level in the chocolate cake was higher: more than 250 times the only federal guidelines.”
Despite these findings and the known hazards of PFAS exposure, the FDA has labeled some instances as not presenting health risks. The agency is evaluating cases of PFAS in food individually, and are still analyzing the effects of exposure via food.
Multiple states have PFAS regulations in place, as federal measures are considered insufficient by many. Most legal parameters on the chemicals relate to its presence in water supplies, but expanded regulation to address all possibilities of contamination is an ongoing debate throughout government entities.
Food contamination often presents the danger of severe or fatal health risks to victims. Schedule a free consultation with Belushin Law Firm, P.C. if you or a loved one were affected by eating a defective food product — send us a message or call (888) 918-9890 to speak with our attorneys.