Author name: National Food Museum

PFAS, the abbreviation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, contaminate our food from some pizza boxes, plastic takeout packages, non-stick cookware, and other sources. As long as they are permitted in the food-supply chain, consumers should take measures to reduce their levels in our foods. That may include such measures as cooking with different frying pans and spatulas to removing takeout food from plastic containers promptly and not storing those foods in those containers, and eating fresh foods that never touched plastics. (Consumer Reports; 1’39”)

The 21st century has brought more and more evidence that chemical contaminants, such as PFAS and BPA, from plastics contaminates our food…and the whole global environment. Such chemicals may cause cancer, mimic hormones, and have other health effects. This brief overview may motivate you to take steps to reduce the amounts of those contaminants in your food and body. (Gulf Coast News, NBC-TV; 2024; 2’06”)

Three-fourths of all antibiotics are used to treat and prevent infections in animals raised in dirty, crowded conditions (and that means almost all chickens, pigs, and cattle). The goal may be worthy, but overuse of antibiotics promotes the proliferation of E. coli, Salmonella, and other bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics. If those “superbugs” contaminate our food, consumers may develop diseases that are much harder to treat and might even cause deaths. (Farm Animal Concerns Trust; 2025; 2’58”)

“Food Safety 101 – The Journey of food safety from farm to table” is a nice overview of food safety, suitable for people 10 to 100. It covers the bases regarding the different types of risk (bacterial, chemical, physical, adulteration), the health problems that might result, and strategies for keeping those risks out of the food supply. (Public Health Academy; 2022; 7’51”)