Butter and Flame Retardant

A stick of butter purchased at a Dallas grocery store contained high levels of a flame retardant used in electronics.

CNN | A stick of butter purchased at a Dallas grocery store contained high levels of a flame retardant used in electronics, according to environmental scientists at the University of Texas School of Public Health.

The butter was contaminated with a chemical called polybrominated diphenyl ether, or PBDE.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of U.S. butter contaminated with PBDEs," said lead research Arnold Schecter, whose study was published Tuesday, December 7, 2010 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The butter was purchased last year as part of a small research project to test for contaminates. The butter stick's wrapper contained even higher amounts of PBDEs. The source of the contamination remains a mystery.

"Flame retardants were not made to be eaten. They're made to slow down the smoke in fires. They're not a food component. They don't belong there," said Schecter. "Either the paper was contaminated before it reached the butter factory, or somehow it managed to get contaminated at the factory itself."

95 percent of Americans have flame retardant chemicals in their body, according to Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group. Lunder, who was not affiliated with the study, found the researcher's revelation baffling.

"There is a bulk of fire retardants out there in our environment, and that is generally yucky," she said. "These are much higher than you would expect compared to what you find in fish and other products."

The health effects of PBDEs on humans, especially developing children, are not fully known. In animal studies, PBDEs are associated with liver cancer and neurobehavioral alterations.

By Lunder's calculation, a 40-pound child would need to eat only 3 percent of a stick of contaminated butter to exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's daily safe exposure level for PBDE-209, the main component in PBDE.

According to Schecter, the contaminated butter was produced by a large, well-known Midwestern company. The study authors declined to identify the company, citing the small scope of their investigation.

"It can happen, and it did happen, but we don't know how frequent or infrequent it is," Schecter said. "We did not want to point the finger at any one company."

In a statement the National Milk Producers Federation said, "This would appear to be an isolated incident not representative of the product category, but based on the facts presented, further investigation is warranted."

Article Source





   

You may also be interested in reading:

Secret Toxins Lurking in Your Food, and How to Avoid Them
Tanning Salons' Sunbeds as harmful as cigarettes
Preventing Gardasil Vaccine Injuries & Deaths
Suicide Warning Ordered on Anti-Smoking Drugs
Hormone experts worried about plastics, chemicals
Home Tooth Bleaching Reduces Enamel Strength
Shopper's Guide to Pesticides
Bills Would Ban BPA From Food and Drink Containers
What Happens When You Use a Cell Phone
Air "Fresheners" Actually Releasing Toxins into Your Home
How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass?
Group finds carcinogens in kids bath products
Vicks VapoRub Linked to Infant Breathing Problems
Cell Phone Radiation Found to Disrupt Sleeping
Children in Danger from Bisphenol A
The Not-So-Happy Meal: What's Really in Fast Food?
Pesticide link to childhood leukemia
Use of cleaning products increases risk of asthma in young children
EPA veils hazardous substances
BPA Plastic May Stay In Body Longer
FDA: Peanut plant knew product was tainted with salmonella
High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury
Bills Would Ban BPA From Food and Drink Containers
Maryland eyes artificial food color ban

POWERED BY: WWW.THEBETTERHEALTHSTORE.COM
Information presented at theBetterHealthStore.com is for educational purposes only; statements about products and health conditions have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The Better Health Store (thebetterhealthstore.com) is provided "as is." By using this website, you agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless thebetterhealthstore, its owners, employees, and contributors from any damages that may arise, including damages from any third party noted, linked, or represented within this website. TheBetterHealthStore makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of this website, nor the information, content, materials, or products included within this website, nor the information, content, materials, or products from any third party noted, linked, or represented within this website. TheBetterHealthStore will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of this website, nor from any third party noted, linked, or represented within this website. We reserve the right to make changes to these terms and conditions at any time.