Consumer Reports Finds ‘Widespread’ Plastics in Food

Consumer Reports Finds ‘Widespread’ Plastics in Food

消费者报告发现食品中“广泛存在”塑料污染

【听力音频】

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　　By Dan Novak

　　07 January 2024

　　New research from the American non-profit organization Consumer Reports finds that plastics have a "widespread" presence in food. The group called on the United States government to examine the safety of food that comes into contact with plastics during production.

　　In a report released Thursday, Consumer Reports said that 84 out of 85 food products it recently tested contained "plasticizers" called phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastic last longer.

　　The tested food came from supermarkets and restaurants.

　　The researchers also said 79 percent of the foods examined contained bisphenol A (BPA), another chemical found in plastic, and other bisphenols. But levels were lower than in tests done in 2009.

　　Consumer Reports said all the phthalate levels were within limits set by U.S. and European regulators. However, this does not mean the chemicals are safe to eat. Deciding acceptable levels for such chemicals in food is tricky. Officials in the U.S. and Europe have set limits for only bisphenol A (BPA) and a few phthalates. All the foods tested remained within the limits, the experts said.

　　However, does that mean it is safe to eat? The researchers say no.

　　Tunde Akinleye was the lead scientist in the food testing. He says many of the limits on the chemicals are not in line with the most current scientific knowledge, he reported.

　　"We don't feel comfortable saying these levels are okay," Akinleye said.

　　Phthalates and bisphenols can interfere with the body's production and release of estrogen and other hormones. That can lead to increased risk of birth defects, cancer, diabetes, reproductive problems, developmental disorders, and other health conditions.

　　Among the tested supermarket foods, Annie's Organic Cheesy Ravioli contained the most phthalates. Del Monte peaches and Chicken of the Sea pink salmon also were high in phthalates.

　　Increased phthalate levels were also found in products including Cheerios, Gerber baby food and Yoplait yogurt. And the researchers found increased levels in hamburger, chicken and potatoes from fast food restaurants Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonald's.

　　Consumer Reports also found some wide differences in levels among similar products. For example, some chicken from McDonald's contained four times more phthalates than a similar chicken product from Wendy's.

　　"That tells us that, as widespread as these chemicals are, there are ways to reduce how much is in our foods," said James Rogers. He supervises Consumer Reports' product safety testing.

　　Polar raspberry lime seltzer was the only tested product containing no phthalates.

　　General Mills produces brands including Annie's, Cheerios and Yoplait. The company did not immediately answer requests for comment. Burger King and Wendy's also did not immediately answer such requests.

　　Chicken of the Sea and Del Monte said they do not add phthalates to their food, and that their suppliers guarantee the same.

　　Del Monte added that phthalates are "widespread in the environment."

　　Gerber and McDonald's said they follow government rules connected to their products and require testing for food packaging as well.

　　I'm Ashley Thompson.

　　Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by Reuters.

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　　作者：Dan Novak

　　2024年1月7日

　　美国非营利组织消费者报告的新研究发现，塑料在食品中的存在“广泛”。该组织呼吁美国政府检查在生产过程中与塑料接触的食品的安全性。

　　在周四发布的一份报告中，消费者报告表示，它最近测试的85种食品中有84种含有被称为邻苯二甲酸盐的“塑化剂”。邻苯二甲酸盐是用来使塑料更持久的化学物质。

　　这些被测试的食品来自超市和餐馆。

　　研究人员还表示，检查的食品中有79%含有另一种在塑料中发现的化学物质双酚A（BPA）和其他双酚。但是，这些水平低于2009年进行的测试。

　　消费者报告表示，所有的邻苯二甲酸盐水平都在美国和欧洲监管机构设定的限制范围内。然而，这并不意味着这些化学物质是安全的食物。决定这类化学物质在食品中的可接受水平是棘手的。美国和欧洲的官员只为双酚A（BPA）和少数邻苯二甲酸盐设定了限制。专家们说，所有被测试的食品都在这些限制范围内。

　　然而，这是否意味着它是安全的食物？研究人员说不。

　　食品测试的首席科学家Tunde Akinleye表示，许多对这些化学物质的限制并不符合最新的科学知识。

　　Akinleye说：“我们并不认为这些水平是可以接受的。”

　　邻苯二甲酸盐和双酚可以干扰人体产生和释放雌激素和其他激素。这可能导致出生缺陷、癌症、糖尿病、生殖问题、发育障碍和其他健康状况的风险增加。

　　在被测试的超市食品中，Annie's Organic Cheesy Ravioli含有最多的邻苯二甲酸盐。Del Monte的桃子和Chicken of the Sea的粉红三文鱼也含有高量的邻苯二甲酸盐。

　　邻苯二甲酸盐的含量增加也被发现在包括Cheerios、Gerber婴儿食品和Yoplait酸奶在内的产品中。研究人员还在Wendy's、Burger King和McDonald's的快餐店的汉堡、鸡肉和土豆中发现了增加的水平。

　　消费者报告还发现在类似产品中某些水平有很大的差异。例如，McDonald's的一些鸡肉含有的邻苯二甲酸盐比Wendy's的类似鸡肉产品多四倍。

　　"这告诉我们，尽管这些化学物质广泛存在，但还是有办法减少食物中的含量，"James Rogers说。他监督消费者报告的产品安全测试。

　　Polar raspberry lime seltzer是唯一一个测试中不含邻苯二甲酸盐的产品。

　　General Mills生产包括Annie's、Cheerios和Yoplait在内的品牌。该公司没有立即回应评论请求。Burger King和Wendy's也没有立即回应这样的请求。

　　Chicken of the Sea和Del Monte表示，他们没有在食品中添加邻苯二甲酸盐，他们的供应商也保证了同样的事情。

　　Del Monte补充说，邻苯二甲酸盐在环境中“广泛存在”。

　　Gerber和McDonald's表示，他们遵循与其产品相关的政府规定，并要求对食品包装进行测试。

　　我是Ashley Thompson。

　　Dan Novak根据路透社的报道为VOA学英语改编了这个故事。

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　　这个故事中的词汇

　　supermarket — n. 超市，一种顾客可以购买各种食品和通常的家庭用品的商店

　　comfortable — adj. 舒适的，不会引起任何身体上的不适感

　　defect — n. 缺陷，问题或故障使某人或某物不完美