Whole Foods Market, hailed for its high standards for healthy food, ranked worst in a study of five major U.S. grocery chains for chemicals it uses in packaging at its popular hot-food bar. In response, the company said it has removed all the coated paper products in question and has started a search for new biodegradable packaging.
The study -- released by watchdog groups Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families and Toxic-Free Future -- found that Amazon.com Inc.’s grocer was the biggest offender when it came to food contact papers that appear to have been treated with a class of chemicals, some of which have been linked to cancer. They found high levels of fluorine in five of the 17 items tested at Whole Foods -- four of which were containers for its salad and hot-food bar.
