My favorite part of visiting my grandmother’s house was her cereal selection. She would stock little boxes of Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Puffs, and Fruit Loops for our yearly visits, and I dreamed about those hyper-colored bowls of sugar all year.
Eating sugar-coated cereals is something my parents never allowed in our house. The most “unhealthy” cereal they bought for us was Cheerios.
Now I realize why my Mom was so strict about those foods. Not only is there way too much refined sugar in those boxed cereals, but the food colorings have proven to be neurotoxins as well.
Today, we have another reason to avoid boxed cereals. Kellogg Company Voluntarily Recalls Select Packages of Kellogg’s® Corn Pops®, Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks®, Kellogg’s® Froot Loops® and Kellogg’s® Apple Jacks®.
There are dangerous chemicals lurking in the bags and linings of boxed cereals, and the Kellogg company has recalled several cereals because of strange odors coming from the plastics.
The most common liners are made from HDPE with an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) -based seal layer. Other known liners include a zinc lonomer in the sealant layer. Still another known liners (for a high sugar, high flavor cereal) include high density polyethylene (HDPE) , nylon, and an lonomer-based sealant.
What do all these scientific terms mean?
At the moment, no major studies have been conducted researching the long term risks posed by EVA fumes. Anecdotal claims report symptoms including an itchy rash (allergic reaction), severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, and nose bleeds. HDPE is often made with titanium and contains phthalates, and is made from petroleum.
To ensure your long-term health, and that of your family, try to avoid eating too much food out of these containers. Plastics are everywhere, and we can’t know the long-term heath effects of ingesting the fumes and materials that we ingest with every mouthful.
Be well, Alexandra
