Black Plastic Kitchen Utensils and Food Containers May Contain Banned Flame Retardants

You may want to check your kitchen utensil drawer and reconsider using that black plastic spatula. Because according to a new study published in the journal Chemosphere, it may be leeching dangerous levels of toxic chemicals.

The authors of the study, which was published on October 1, screened 203 consumer products for two kinds of flame retardants: brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), along with plastic polymers. It found flame retardants in 85% of the products it tested, with the highest levels of toxic flame retardants in a sushi tray, a spatula, and a beaded necklace meant for children.

The authors also detected the banned compound deca-BDE, which was typically used in electronics casings before it was banned. It was found widely on the kitchen utensils tested, with the authors noting that the “estimation of exposure to BDE-209 from contaminated kitchen utensils indicated users would have a median intake of 34,700 ng/day, exceeding estimates for intake from dust and diet.” 

And that is really, really not great for humans. As a 2024 review published in Environment International noted, “Toxicity studies suggest BDE-209 may cause systemic toxic effects on living organisms, reproductive toxicity, embryo-fetal toxicity, genetic toxicity, endocrine toxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and developmental toxicity, or even be carcinogenic.” 

“These results clearly demonstrate that flame retardant-containing electronics, such as the outer casings of large TVs, are being recycled into food storage containers and utensils,” Heather Stapleton, the Ronie-Richele Garcia-Johnson Distinguished Professor at Duke University, stated in a release about the study. “While it’s critical to develop sustainable approaches when addressing our plastic waste stream, we should exert some caution and ensure we’re not contributing to additional exposures to these hazardous chemicals in recycled materials.”

The spatula also wasn’t the only area of concern when it came to food. There’s also that black plastic sushi tray. According to the findings, it contained 11,900 parts per million of the flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether, or decaBDE, which is strongly associated with an increased risk of death from cancer, according to yet another 2024 study. 

“Companies continue to use toxic flame retardants in plastic electronics, and that’s resulting in unexpected and unnecessary toxic exposures,” Megan Liu, a co-author on the study and the science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future, shared in a post about the study. “These cancer-causing chemicals shouldn’t be used to begin with, but with recycling, they are entering our environment and our homes in more ways than one. The high levels we found are concerning.”

However, a spokesperson for The North American Flame Retardant Alliance (NAFRA), which represents makers and users of flame-resistant chemicals, told CNN that this study lacks data on actual levels of human exposure and data on exposure pathways. Erich Shea, NAFRA’s director of product communications, added in an email to CNN that the use of flame retardants has been “instrumental in reducing fire-related injuries and fatalities.” Shea added the recycling of plastics from electronic waste is “a critical component of a circular economy, helping to conserve resources and reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste.”

But if you want to protect yourself from exposure just in case, you can always check out Toxic-Free Future’s Retailer Report Card to see how your favorite retailer scores. And avoid ever microwaving plastic. In fact, just go ahead and put that takeout in a glass container when you get home instead.