McDonalds food contains lead claim is false
Question asked:
“McDonald's food contains lead.”
Summary
There is no evidence that the food served by McDonald’s contains lead; FDA testing shows lead levels in foods are well below regulatory limits. Reports of lead relate only to McDonald’s toys or older glassware, not to the food itself.
Sources 60 searched
- Lead in Food and Foodwares | FDA
Lead may be present in food from the environment where foods are grown, raised, or processed.
- Testing Results for Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium and Mercury | FDA
The test results from this limited sample were well below the specification levels for arsenic, cadmium, and lead established by the Food Chemicals Codex, 13th edition, and by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, and adopted ...
- Contains Nonbinding Recommendations Action Levels for Lead in Processed Food
IV. FDA’s Action Levels for Lead in Processed Food Intended for ... 12 TDS results can be found online at: https://www.fda.gov/food/total-diet-study/analytical-results-total-diet-study.
- Lead in Fast Food Toys | Robert Morris University
It found that 22 of the toys — most recently a McDonald's "Minions" toy from 2013 — contained lead in concentrations above permitted federal limits and enough to classify them as hazardous waste. "With these toys, the small amount of leached material doesn't seem like much until you realize the vast number of them that are out there," said RMU environmental science professor Daniel Short, the study's lead author.
- Deadly drinkware: a vintage lover’s guide to not getting lead poisoning | Well actually | The Guardian
In 2019, Rubin posted about discovering one piece of her own inherited vintage barware pieces contained a shocking 90,000 parts per million (ppm) lead and more than 2,000ppm cadmium; for perspective, the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s threshold for lead in surface coatings of consumer products is 90ppm, and the EU limits cadmium presence to 75ppm. As a general guideline, be wary of orange, yellow or red items, as cadmium is frequently used to achieve these pigments. This concern isn’t limited to very old items; cadmium has been found in products ranging from 1970s Garfield glasses to novelty McDonald’s cups from 2010. Not every object in these colors will contain cadmium, but if in doubt about a particular item, consider researching its origins or not using it – put it in a display cabinet or on a shelf instead, where it will pose less of a risk.
- Lead-Laced Drinking Glasses Spur Federal Probe - CBS News
In separate testing to recreate regular handling, other glasses shed small but notable amounts of lead or cadmium from their decorations. Federal regulators have worried that toxic metals rubbing onto children's hands can get into their mouths. Among the brands on those glasses: Coca-Cola, Walt Disney, Burger King and McDonald's.
- Check your cabinets: Older McDonald's collector cups may contain toxic substances - EHN
While McDonald's new collector cups are safe, previous glassware sold by the fast-food giant may pose serious health risks due to toxic materials like lead and cadmium.John Tufts reports for the Indianapolis Star.In short:McDonald's new 2024 ...
- McDonald’s announces global ban of toxic chemicals in food packaging - Safer States
WASHINGTON, D.C. — International fast-food giant McDonald’s today announced a new global sustainable packaging commitment, banning the class of toxic chemicals per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from guest packaging materials.