There is currently no way to know how widespread this kind of
chemical contamination is in food. Emily Sohn writes in
Discovery News: As part of an ongoing investigation into
chemicals in our food supply, scientists found extremely high
concentrations of a flame-retardant compound in a supermarket
sample of brand-name butter. It is the first documented case of
serious contamination in food in the United States with a class
of chemicals known as PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
Commonly used in furniture and electronics, among other
products, PBDEs are known to disrupt hormone function and have
been associated with a range of health concerns, including
cancer as well as reproductive, developmental, and neurological
problems. Since no federal agencies currently track levels of
chemicals like these in food, there is no way to know how
widespread this kind of chemical contamination is in butter or
other products. But it clearly happens at least sometimes. Read
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