The most unhealthy part of your takeaway is the packaging

As healthy as we try to be, we're all prone to a big dirty takeaway.

Whether it be on a night out, when we're hungover like a dog or if we're just a bit lazy and couldn't be arsed cooking, a takeaway always seems like the best idea. Apart from when you're feeling sick and bloated hours later because of all those artificial flavours, excess sauces or too much fat of course. All those bad things aside, it turns out the most unhealthy part of your takeaway food of choice is the packaging. Yes, indeedy. According to a study carried out by researchers at Berkely University in Florida, the materials used in packaging food contain a worrying amount of fluoride. Those paper bags, boxes and paper wrapping that houses your food when you buy it or get it delivered are often covered in a specific chemical which has fluorinated compounds in it. The study, conducted in the US tested 400 different samples of packaging used for takeaway foods with all the different materials - paper, cardboard, foil and wrappers. The compounds on the materials reportedly stop the grease seeping out of your food and making the box or bag disintegrate. The findings from the study showed that:

• Paper wrappings that hold your chips contain 46% of fluorine compounds
• Cardboard containers contain 20% of those pesky compounds,
• Meanwhile 56% of dessert and bread wrappers and
• 38% per cent of sandwich and burger wrappers also held these compounds.

For those of you unfamiliar with fluorinated compounds, they have been associated with cancer and immunotoxicity. We know. Will this put you off your takeaway tomorrow?