(NaturalHealth365)  While butter has had a contentious history in terms of nutritional acceptance, we haven’t really heard before that consuming this rich spread could actually expose you to harmful chemicals!

And while there are at least some purported benefits to eating butter – particularly butter sourced from grass-fed cows whose butter contains higher amounts of nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids – a new study may have you second-guessing your morning sourdough toast with butter and jam.

Butter wrappers loaded with dangerous “forever” chemicals, new study finds

A new study co-led by Mamavation and Environmental Health News reveals that a surprising number of store-bought butter brands are packaged in material contaminated with harmful levels of “forever” chemicals, aka PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

Nicknamed “forever” chemicals because they are resistant to degradation and tend to build up in the body and the environment, PFAS are linked to many harmful health effects, including “changes in [fetal] development, liver and thyroid function, immune response, and increased liver and kidney weight as well as cellular changes,” according to resources such as the Minnesota Department of Health.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also notes that evidence has linked PFAS to increased blood pressure in pregnant women, high cholesterol, obesity, an increased risk of certain cancers, and “interference with the body’s natural hormones.”

For the investigative report, team members sent 32 butter wrappers from 22 popular butter brands and sent these off to an EPA-certified laboratory for testing.  Of the 32 butter wrappers tested, HALF of them (16) tested positive for PFAS, specifically the chemical fluorine.

In what could offer at least some relief to concerned readers, just 8 out of the 22 brands themselves had indications of PFAS in their wrappers; most (63 percent) did not.  However, the ranges of total fluorine found in the brands that did test positive for PFAS in their butter wrappers ranged from 11 to 112 parts per million (ppm).

For reference, the state of California recently passed Assembly Bill 652, which effectively bans PFAS at or above 100 ppm (as measured in total organic fluorine) in products that are designed for children under 12.

Reduce your toxin exposure:  Here are the butter brands that had (and didn’t have) PFAS in their wrappers, according to the new report

As you might imagine, butter wrappers aren’t the only possible routes of exposure to PFAS.  These chemicals have also been found in things like pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, sandwich wrappers, and French fry containers – no doubt due to the chemicals’ ability to resist things like water and oil.  Non-food sources of PFAS exposure also include drinking water, cosmetic products, dental floss, and more.

As far as choosing better kinds of butter, you may want to heed the findings from Mamavation and Environmental Health News.  Specifically, the brands that were dinged for PFAS in their butter wrappers included:

• HEB Organic
• Kate’s, Kerrygold
• Kirkland
• Maple Hill Organic
• Miyokos
• Organic Valley
• Wegmans

Conversely, brands with butter wrappers that were free from PFAS evidence included products by 365 Whole Foods, Clover Sonoma, Horizon Organic, Nature’s Promise, Straus Family, and Trader Joe’s.

Sources for this article include:

Mamavation.com
EHN.org
Childrenshealthdefense.org
Healthline.com
Health.state.mn.us
EPA.gov
Exponent.com