Toxins To-Go

Just about everything we eat comes in some sort of packaging, and some foods are wrapped up in health hazards!

Candy bars, fast food and microwave popcorn usually come in materials with that grease-resistant coating. That stuff is highly toxic, and if ingested, stays in your body for years. To avoid it, ask restaurants to put your food directly into the paper bag, or to wrap it in foil first. Egg sandwiches, french fries and chicken nuggets all tested highest in levels of the toxic stuff.

For heating up food in the microwave, cover it with waxed paper instead of plastic wrap. Just make sure it's naturally waxed paper and not chemically treated or grease-resistant. For popcorn, you're better off buying it loose and using the stove or a hot-air popper. You can even take popcorn out of the microwave wrapping and store it in a glass or ceramic container.

Source: Olga Naidenko, PhD, Environmental Working Group