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Dining out linked to increased exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in foods
U.S. children and adults who consume food from sources away from home are more likely to have higher measurements of endocrine-disrupting phthalates in their urine than those who prepare most of their food at home, according to an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data published in Environment International.
“While prior work has shown that phthalate exposures are associated with fast food intake among the U.S. population, this study demonstrates that other sources of food away from home, such as full-service restaurants and cafeterias, are also important sources of phthalates exposure,” Julia R. Varshavsky, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkley, and colleagues wrote. “It also shows, for the first time, that the contribution of specific food sources varies by age group.”
Varshavsky and colleagues analyzed laboratory, questionnaire and dietary data from five cycles of NHANES conducted between 2005 and 2014 that included 10,253 participants. During each survey cycle, NHANES data provided phthalate metabolite measurements for one-third of study participants, measured via spot urine samples. Researchers calculated daily intake and estimated cumulative exposure for six phthalates: di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBzp), di2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP). Researchers constructed a biologically relevant metric of phthalate daily intake by converting phthalates into antiandrogen equivalent terms prior to their summation, they noted. Dietary intake and the percent of total energy intake consumed from multiple dining out sources were ascertained from 24-hour recall surveys. Researchers used linear regression analyses to estimate associations of phthalate exposure with total androgen-disruptor levels for children, adolescents and adults.
Across the study population, researchers observed a positive association between dining out and cumulative phthalate daily intake, with evidence of a linear trend between exposure categories (P for trend < .0001). The largest association was for adolescents; those considered “high” consumers of food away from home (participants who consumed more than the weighted median of those who reported a dietary intake of food away from home) had 55% higher total androgen-disruptor level vs. adolescents who reported consuming only food at home before urine sample collection (95% CI, 35-78). Researchers observed the weakest associations among children, noting that children considered high consumers of food away from home had 30% higher total androgen-disrupter levels vs. children who consumed all calories from home before spot urine sample collection (95% CI, 16-45).
When analyzing specific foods, consumption of sandwiches, fried potatoes and pizza at home was not associated with cumulative phthalates intake; however, the consumption of sandwiches outside the home was associated with 30% higher total androgen-disrupter levels across the population (P < .005). Pizza and fried potatoes consumed away from home were also positively associated with total androgen-disrupter levels in children and adults (P < .01).
The contribution of specific dining out sources to total androgen-disruptor levels varied by age group. Cafeteria food, for example, was associated with 15% (95% CI, 4-28) and 64% (95% CI, 40-92) higher total androgen-disruptor levels in children and adults, respectively, according to researchers.
Including BMI in regression models did not change the associations between dietary intake of food away from home and deviation in androgen-disruptor levels, according to researchers.
“We found that, relative to food consumed from a grocery store (and potentially prepared at home), food consumed from full-service restaurants, fast food establishments and cafeterias (prepared away from home) was associated with increased potency-adjusted exposure to multiple antiandrogenic phthalates,” the researchers wrote. “Efforts should be made to identify modifiable production practices that mitigate food product contamination and ultimately remove phthalates from the food supply.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.