A recent People Magazine article detailed the absolute tragedy and disaster of “forever chemicals,” publishing an ever-growing list of popular, convenient foods available on American supermarket shelves. It was hard to read without a sinking feeling.
Phthalates, also known as “forever chemicals,” is a plasticizer used in food containers intended to make plastic more pliable. But these small pieces of plastic are continuing to be discovered in food that is then consumed by humans. Common foods typically purchased by busy middle-class parents make up the majority of the items: items like canned ravioli branded “organic,” low-fat vanilla yogurt, canned pink salmon, sliced peaches, and chocolate milkshakes comprise the list and highlight a very real problem “crunchy moms” and prepper dads don’t seem to take into account when ranting against these toxic foods.
“Don’t eat fast food,” they’ll lecture. “Candy is full of toxic food dye!”
We’ve been continually told to avoid these sorts of foods for “better alternatives.” But when vegetables are less nutritious than they were just a few decades ago, white meats are packed with microplastics, and fish are full of mercury, it makes it harder for the average American to obtain a truly healthy diet.
It’s not just food that these microplastics are being found in: the CDC has stated that phthalates “are in hundreds of products, such as vinyl flooring, lubricating oils, and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hair sprays).”
Even tap water was recently found to be filled with forever chemicals. According to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency last summer, forever chemicals were found in the tap water of 26 million Americans.
The standard American meal is being filled with dangerous chemicals for humans. It also may not make a difference what store you’re shopping from, as some issues go all the way to the producer. For example, a study by the CDC found that the majority of Americans have traces of Round-up, the weed-killing chemical used by farmers, in their urine. The makers of RoundUp just lost a huge lawsuit that alleged that they harmed a lot of people over long periods.
While the American media spends more time on insignificant issues like plastic straws, our country’s entire food system is being contaminated with dangerous chemicals that are causing unknown harm to our bodies.
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
