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Joshua Camacho

Mr. O’Meara

Advanced Freshman English: 9-2

29 Nov. 2018

Inorganic Products in Fast Foods

Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, stated, “Fast food is popular because it's

convenient, it's cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on

the menu.” As emphasized by Eric Schlosser, fast food comes at a greater price than what it

appears to be. In fact, inorganic products such as phthalates and perchlorate cause lethal and

harmful diseases and affect individuals of all ages; therefore, the government should require the

mandated use of organic products in fast foods. When exposed to inorganic products such as

phthalates, individuals begin to develop functional issues in their body. A study with over eight

thousand participants found that “Fast food may be an important source of exposure to

phthalates… because it is highly processed, packaged, and handled” (Zota 1521). Putrich, author

of the article “Report Finds Link between Phthalate Exposure, Fast Food” exclaims, “Phthalates

are likely to be found in the plastics used for food packaging materials... and other items used in

the packaging or preparation of processed foods” (Putrich 1). Plasticizers are implemented into

the packaging of a variety of frozen foods. In fact, McDonald’s restaurants store “frozen bacon,

frozen pancakes… frozen cinnamon rolls, frozen hash browns, frozen biscuits,” and, “frozen

McMuffins” (Schlosser 68). With over thirty thousand restaurants around the globe, McDonald’s

store similar, if not the same, frozen products and serve those final, cooked meals to millions of

customers each day. Each of these frozen foods are packaged and processed, meaning they could

possibly be exposed to phthalates in packaging plants. Moreover, individuals who are exposed to
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this harmful product will be negatively impacted throughout their lifetime. Multiple researchers

conducted a study of phthalate exposures and found that “Exposure to phthalates increases the

risk of allergies and asthma,” and, “has an adverse impact on children's neurodevelopment…”

(Chen 2). An increase in the risk of allergies and asthma inflict young children and adults with

lung problems, and they may have trouble breathing. Due to a large risk of allergies and asthma,

these individuals exposed to phthalates will not be able to participate in outdoor activities or

even stay outdoors for large amounts of time. Furthermore, with a decline in neurodevelopment,

children may have issues properly developing their brains, which can negatively impact their

learning in school. With a learning disability, children may have difficulty attending college or

receiving a scholarship, and it may be challenging to find a decent career in their future.

Although individuals who are exposed to phthalates live with lung problems and developmental

issues, phthalates are still used in packaging plants around the world. Similar to phthalates,

perchlorate, which is an inorganic product used in plastic materials, particularly affects women

and their children. Maricel Maffini exclaims, “Perchlorate enters the body through food and

water, with food being the main contributor; perchlorate contaminates food… as an antistatic

agent in any plastic material that contacts dry food, including final and bulk packaging...”

(Maffini 2-3). Because perchlorate, a synthetic chemical, is used as an antistatic agent in plastic

material, it is exposed to a variety of fast foods packaged in plastics such as hamburger patties,

chicken, and biscuits. When a pregnant woman is exposed to perchlorate, her child’s

neurological and chronic development is affected. The child may be born with a disability such

as autism or ADHD. Autism is a disease that affects the way an individual may think or develop.

For instance, autistic children may have trouble communicating with a “neurotypical” child as

they each think differently. Loftis, the author of Imagining Autism : Fiction and Stereotypes on
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the Spectrum, exclaims, “...while the autistic person may not understand what the neurotypical

person is thinking, the neurotypical person may not understand what the autistic person is

thinking either. Autistic people and neurotypical people sometimes think differently on very

fundamental levels” (Loftis 6). Children who are exposed to perchlorate can be born autistic, and

as they grow up, they will be challenged with communicating with other students, their

employers, co-workers, and even customers. No one individual should have to live with autism,

and with the mandation of organic products in fast foods, fewer children will be born with this

detrimental disease. Nevertheless, perchlorate can also cause infants to be born with ADHD,

which is a neurological disease that prevents individuals from sitting still or focusing on one

thing for large amounts of time (Farrar 5). Students who struggle focusing in school will not be

able to do well on their tests and quizzes if they are not retaining what is being taught. Moreover,

not being able to sit still may affect the learning environment, disrupt other students in the

classroom, or even distract the teacher. Without the ability to focus or sit still, individuals with

ADHD do not only affect themselves but those around them. Furthermore, they will have trouble

passing their classes, interviewing for a job, or even focusing on work assignments. There is no

reason as to why a product so detrimental to a child’s ability to learn, think, or communicate

should be used in packaging plants. In order to prevent children and adults alike from receiving

these hurtful and disadvantageous diseases through the consumption of these horrific products,

the government must mandate the use of strictly organic products in fast foods.

Works Cited
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Chen, Chu-Chih, et al. “Exposure Estimation for Risk Assessment of the Phthalate

Incident in Taiwan.” PLoS ONE, vol. 11, no. 3, Mar. 2016, pp. 1–15. Academic Search

Premier. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.

Farrar, Amy. ADHD. Twenty-First Century Books, 2011. eBook Collection. Accessed 27

Nov. 2018.

Loftis, Sonya Freeman. Imagining Autism : Fiction and Stereotypes on the Spectrum.

Indiana University Press, 2015. eBook Collection. Accessed 27 Nov. 2018.

Maffini, Maricel V., et al. “We Are What We Eat: Regulatory Gaps in the United States

That Put Our Health at Risk.” PLoS Biology, vol. 15, no. 12, Dec. 2017, p. 1. Advanced

Placement Source. Accessed 1 Nov. 2018.

Putrich, Gayle S. “Report Finds Link between Phthalate Exposure, Fast Food.” Plastics

News, vol. 28, no. 8, Apr. 2016, p. 0020. Advanced Placement Source. Accessed 26 Nov.

2018.

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company,

2012.

Zota, Ami R., et al. “Recent Fast Food Consumption and Bisphenol A and Phthalates

Exposures among the U.S. Population in NHANES, 2003-2010.” Environmental Health

Perspectives, vol. 124, no. 10, Oct. 2016, pp. 1521–1528. Advanced Placement Source.

Accessed 8 Nov. 2018.